Finally found you
by Hinata1313
Summary: Sakura and the rest have grown and their world has changed. Everyone seems to get older, except her former Sensei. He's so lonely even if he won't admit it. All the time she thought she was alone... can she help him? Will he let her? Kaka/Saku
1. Chapter 1

I thought I haven't posted something in English quite a while now, and this story is steadily growing on my computer since last year... and I think the world could need some more Kaka/Saku. :D Don't blame me for it, but I sort of love that pairing. So please enjoy and leave me some reviews.

Disclaimer: Naruto Normal © belongs to Kishimoto-sensei.

* * *

Sighing she rubbed her temples as she put away her pen and leant back in her chair. Finally all paperwork done. She looked at the huge pile in front of her, grinning triumphantly, but as her gaze wandered over to the clock she sighed again. Nearly nine! She hoped that she would've been finished with that stuff two hours ago. Outside it was already dark.  
"Oh man, if that keeps going on I won't see daylight quite long time…" she mumbled to herself as she stood up and took the pile. She switched the light off and closed her office door behind her.  
"Finished too?" Shizune asked who came down the corridor.  
"Yeah, finally. Was about time."  
"But you managed the whole pile."  
"Yes. If Tsunade-shisho won't drop down another one I'm done for this week. Means only treatment and then off I go."  
"Ah, before I forget… Ino was here a while ago. She said you should drop by her on your way home."  
"Thanks Shizune. Have a nice evening."  
"You too, Sakura." Both dropped the papers on the desk of the receptionist who had to store them away tomorrow and left the hospital.

Tired like hell she walked down the streets towards Ino's apartment. She felt every muscle in her back – sitting the whole day doing paperwork wasn't good – and hoped that the blonde didn't put up something big.  
"I thought you'd never leave your stinky office." Named kunoichi grinned at her as she opened the door before Sakura could even knock.  
"Just because you only do such a little with your healing-abilities that doesn't mean the rest is like that as well. And healing isn't the only business up there."  
"I know, I know, forehead. Stop lecturing me and get your ass moving in here already."  
"What's the reason for calling me in? You know that I had a hard day."  
"Yeah yeah. But I heard something quite interesting, and I have to get rid of that right now."  
"Fine." Sakura sighed and followed her now-again-friend into the living room of her tiny apartment.

Three hours later and even more exhausted than she imagined she could be she left again. Slowly walking home to her own tiny apartment. Since she didn't want to live in the busy centre of the village – for what she cursed herself right now – she had moved into the outskirts. It wasn't that bad to live there, mostly quiet and the streets deserted, but who cared? She had to leave her parents' because she couldn't stand the steady nursing of her mother, who still tended to treat her like a little kid. She had turned nineteen half a year ago and was working as a medic for quite a long time now, which included everything, from shitty shift-times at the hospital over some injuries she'd hoped she'd never see. She yawned as she turned into her street, wishing that she could just fall down and sleep. But just as she wanted to pull her keys out of her pocket they fell into the flower bed next to the door. She sighed again and cursed inwardly her bad luck on days like this one. Just as she was about to bow down and look for them a hand hold them right in front of her nose.

"Bad day, huh?" she smiled at the familiar voice.  
"You are sooo right, Kakashi-senpai." She sighed and took the keys from his outstretched hand.  
"Took you quite long. Shouldn't your shift be over at seven?"  
"Normally, but you know shisho. I finished my paperwork and that took me already two hours longer. The last three hours I was stuck with a quite annoying Ino."  
She heard him chuckle and smiled at that noise, it was usually quite a rare noise and very welcome every time.  
"Now that explains the strained look on your face."  
"Right again." She yawned. "Do you want to come up for a cup of tea?"  
"I think it would be better if you'd go to bed." He said, arching one eyebrow up.  
"Tomorrow's my day off, and right now I can't sleep anyways. My head is still buzzing thanks to Pig."  
"Hmm…" he made.  
"Don't give me the maybe-another-time-excuse. You did that every time I asked, and I live here the last two years." She said, rolling her eyes.  
"If it would please you…" he chuckled.  
She just sighed and unlocked the door, holding it open for him.

After struggling with the staircase up into the third floor she unlocked her apartment door, sliding it open and stepping aside to let him enter. She slipped out of her sandals and marched over to the kitchen to prepare the tea. Kakashi looked around to take in his surroundings. Nice apartment, smaller than his, but quite nice. The kitchen obviously was the last room down the corridor on the left, the bathroom opposite of that, the first open door on the left side had to be the living room, opposite the sleeping room. The corridor was painted in a light pastel tone, remembering him something near sand. He followed her into the kitchen.  
"Should I help you with something?" he asked.  
"No, but thanks." She replied while looking at her big selection of tea.  
"Which would you like?" she asked him and he came closer to look.  
"Hmm… dunno… cherry?" he suggested.  
"Sounds good to me." She mumbled, taking the box out of the cabinet. The kitchen was painted in a warm pastel tone too – fig he guessed – the cabinets were beech, but two doors were painted in a dark red, which gave the room a warm feeling.

A few minutes later he followed her over to the living room. He smiled inwardly as he saw the big red sofa, looking slightly plush, and a matching armchair. She plopped down in the last one, flipping her feet over the armrest while he took a seat on the sofa.  
"Cosy." He said after a few minutes of looking around her living room. One side of the room completely stuffed with bookshelves, cramped with books. Somewhere in that organized chaos he found a television, which seemed to be never-used. The windowsill was stuffed with flowers and as he turned his head a little to look at the wall over the sofa he found a big collage of all of her friends. It had been a move-in-present. He remembered Ino had asked him if she could take a picture from him. The blonde was running around the village with a camera for weeks until she got everyone Sakura liked on photo. A small smile rushed over his face as he found his picture pretty near the centre of that mass of faces.

"Yeah." She mumbled. "It took me a while to arrange it like it is now, but I'm sort of satisfied."  
"Mh-hm." He made, recognising once more how exhausted she looked.  
"But thanks to shisho I have only a little time here, at least the last months." She yawned again.  
"I can't remember the last time I've read one of my books in peace."  
"That's something I can understand perfectly well." He chuckled.  
"And I don't believe it. You even read while fighting, unless your opponent is too… difficult…" she mumbled and gulped down the rest of the tea in her mug, shortly closing her eyes, allowing him to finish his tea as well.  
"Sometimes I ask myself why I go through that all."  
"Nani?"  
"I mean, I wanted to learn how to heal because that would at least give me a chance to be from any use in our team… and now I don't even have a team. You and Naruto get assigned to so many missions and different teams but I rarely leave the hospital." She grunted.  
"That's not how I planned the things to work out."

"Life mostly doesn't work out the way we want it, you know." He stated dryly.  
"Here goes the teacher again." She sighed and yawned again. "There's no need to tell me, _**sensei**_." She stretched the last word, knowing perfectly well that he couldn't stand it because it made him feel old, and he just had turned 33.  
"What else should I say?" he mumbled back, amusement clearly audible in his voice. "And for that _sensei_ I'll get you later."  
"However… are you that used to the this-is-not-the-life-I've-ordered-but-accept-my-fate-number?"  
"Mostly."  
"Quite as informative as always." She grumbled.  
"You won't let go, would you?" he chuckled again.  
"No, never. And you know pretty well why." She managed a grin and stuck out her tongue.  
"Is that so?" he asked, arching the visible eyebrow.  
"Yes, you do. Since you still hold back so many things and surprise me now and then with your statements… I guess I'll go on like this until I die."  
"Hn."  
"Hn." She mumbled back, adding a little stubbornness to her voice, which caused him to chuckle again.  
"I could tell you the same." He said. "You keep surprising me as well."  
"I have a good example, you know." She grinned over to him.  
"It shouldn't get boring…" he mumbled.  
"With all my respect for you, senpai, but I highly doubt that a man like _**you**_ could ever become boring." She pointed out an yawned again.

"I guess I'll go home now, not that I keep you awake too long." He said and stood up. "How long have you been working today? You left quite early."  
"You just think it's early because you tend to sleep in." she replied, following him to the door.  
"I started at eight. I guess you fell out of bed around eleven." She grinned at him.  
"Hmm… I guess it was half past twelve." He mused.  
"I wish I could sleep that long."  
"Oh, you could tomorrow… wait, nope… today already."  
"Mostly I'm awake at latest ten. That sucks, but it's like that."  
"Yeah, that truly sucks." He grinned. "Good that it's not me."  
"Very funny." She shot back. "I could throw something over to you when I'm awake, just to give you the wonderful experience of a waking-up earlier."  
"Don't you dare…" he threatened.  
"What else?" she grinned. "Forcing me to do some extra push-ups?"  
"Nope, but I could pull my revenge on you on the next mission we go together, _**kohai**_." He teased.  
"Well then, _**senpai**_, I won't keep you from your night's sleep either and just hope that you're in the best mood on our next mission."  
"Ok then, good night Sakura-chan." He grinned. "And thanks for the tea."  
"Never mind. Good night to you too, Kakashi-senpai."

Yawning again she went back into the living room, grabbing the two mugs and putting them into the sink. A short look out of her kitchen window showed her that he just had entered his own apartment. Who would've thought that she would become his neighbour one day? She hadn't known where he lived until the day she moved in and was setting up her kitchen cabinets, as she looked out of the window and saw him walking around in his apartment. She tried to invite him over so many times that she had lost count, so tonight had been a premiere and she was even too tired to enjoy it. She dragged herself into the bathroom, certainly being happy to have it at the other side of the apartment, and took a hot shower to loosen the sore muscles of her back. After brushing her teeth and combing through her now a little longer hair she went to her sleeping room. Walking in there with the lights off since the curtains were still open. She pulled them close and then switched on the light to look for a new nightgown. She pulled it over her head and grabbed the towel she had carried to hang it up in the bathroom before finally collapsing on her bed. Yawning once more she dragged the cover over herself and switched off the light. It had been really nice to have him here… and he thought her apartment was cosy, so at least she had done a good job here.

Still smiling and inwardly chuckling he entered his own apartment, seeing as walked into his living room that she just put the mugs into the sink. Her apartment really looked nice, and it was obvious that it belonged to a woman with taste. Nothing stuffed too much, nothing trashy or stuff like that. Everything neat and well organized, just as he expected from her. She clearly was no kid anymore, and the fact that she had managed that apartment stuff completely on her own, from choosing the colours to set up the furniture, showed that pretty clear. But so stressed and worked up like tonight he hadn't seen her in quite a while. She looked ways older than she truly was, and that bothered him a little. Around Naruto he mostly felt old – which just came because the blonde seemed to have an endless source of energy – but around Sakura he somehow felt timeless. She never said things like 'you're getting old' or 'what would you know about what's going on _**now**_' like Naruto sometimes did. He shook his head slightly, still smiling as he was about to switch the light in the living room off to go to bed as something caught his eye. Means that particular something was clearly Sakura. He only saw her silhouette through the curtains, but exactly that was fascinating him. He could clearly see her slender figure, the way her hips swayed as she walked over to what was obviously the closet and caught sight of her small breasts – which were perfectly harmonising with her figure – as she pulled on her nightgown. As he finally got who he was looking at he shook his head and looked away. She had been his student, for god's sake, and she was quite a few years younger than him! But she looked quite hot… cursing himself for his thoughts he went to shower, a quite cold one, just to get rid of his thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

Yay! Here we go with the next chap. :) Still hope you like it. Enjoy!

* * *

As Sakura woke up and looked at her alarm clock it was ten after eleven. She yawned and stretched and then finally sat upright on her bed. She felt ways better than the evening before. She marched over into the kitchen, grabbing a bowl with cereals and milk, sat down on her kitchen table and started eating while looking out of the window. Around noon the street was a little busy and she recognised many faces of the people walking by. As she caught sight of something green she quickly ducked, hoping that he never figures out where she lives. Gai wasn't her problem, he was Kakashi's, but when he knew where she was living then it was just a matter of time until Lee figures out as well, and that's something she wanted to avoid at any price. He had become a good friend, and she loved it to have him around, but she needed one place where she could hide when she didn't want to see anyone. She caught shreds of his sentences, the usual stuff: "eternal rival" "bloom of youth" "another challenge" and so on. Like usual Kakashi ignored it, like usual Gai gave up after the old woman who lived two floors under the copy Nin started complaining, and like usual when Gai disappeared out of sight Kakashi would show up at his living room window, a pained expression in his visible eye. She grinned and waved over to him, hopping down from the table, doing the dishes and then went into the bathroom, to get herself ready for the day.

It was always fun to watch him when he just had gotten up. She knew him so many years now and during the absence from both of her team mates the relationship between her and him had shifted a little. He had been there for her to listen to her worries, had endured her crying-attacks and everything else that followed afterwards. He became something like a friend, and since two years she looked at him like that – since he had insisted that she should stop calling him sensei – to be honest. She learned quite quickly that there was a huge difference between him on missions and at home. Genma once mentioned that Kakashi never calms down. "Friggin' paranoia, always this stick in his ass. I bet if he takes him out he'll break down." She grinned as she thought about that statement, and how wrong it was. At home he really relaxed, that was something she could tell from looking at him. He slept long, his hair was even a bigger mess and he was sort of slowly with his movements, while on mission he was something like always under high-voltage. But to tell the truth that wasn't just why she liked it to watch him. The fact that as soon as he had the curtains open he had his mask on annoyed her slightly, but she caught sight of him with bare chest or sleeveless shirts, and that was just a wonderful sight. She wouldn't admit that under torture, but that's simply the way it was. He had a _damn hot_ body, that's for sure. Today he was walking around bare-chested again, which caused a long-lasting grin on her face.

It was late summer, the sun was shining brightly and the temperature was expected to reach 28 degrees today, so she decided to pull on a short skirt and a sleeveless top. She fixed her hair up into a loose ponytail and was about to walk over to her bookshelf in the living room as it knocked at her door. She rolled her eyes, wondering who it was and hoped that it wasn't one of Tsunade's assistants who would call her in for extra duty. As she slid the door open she was surprised to see Kakashi standing there.  
"Yo." He greeted, visible eye curved up.  
"Hi. What's up?"  
"Since it's such a beautiful day outside and I figured that you might need some time in the sun I was thinking if you'd like to go on a little walk?"  
"Sure." She smiled and slipped into a pair of flip-flop.  
"I'd bet you haven't seen the sun in a while." He chuckled, knowing _that _pretty well.  
"Be sure of that." She smiled and locked the door behind herself.  
"Where have you planned to go?"  
"Dunno, maybe a little by the river?"  
"Sounds perfect to me." She stated, hopping down the stairs before him.

He couldn't help but looking at her. The lilac-coloured top she wore and the short midnight-blue skirt suited her pretty well. It showed her wonderful legs, so long and slender… again he caught himself gawking and cursed himself inwardly for it. He was used to the fact that most males looked at her when she walked by, she always said that she couldn't compete with Ino or Hinata – last one was the most curved of the girl-group – but she was a beauty nonetheless. Everything suited just perfectly, he was sure that she knew how she affected other ones, but she didn't play with it, which made her even more unique. Ino was another kind than her, because she even had known how to push the buttons with Asuma, and that was quite an understatement.  
Having Sakura around him was something he was used to, but the shifted relationship was still something strange to him. As he had turned thirty he had asked her to stop calling him sensei, because it made him feel old, but she actually just stopped that habit two years ago. She had nightshift in the ambulance part of the hospital as he returned from a really kick-ass mission, and was really worn up. He collapsed in the corridor and felt a little embarrassed as he came back to consciousness and saw that she was the one fixing him. Her shift had been long over, but she still refused to go home and leave him alone there. She had stayed until he was out of the woods.

Her worried look was something he'd definitely never forget.

_-Flashback-_

"_Now you bandage him and then bring him into a free room. He needs to rest at least three days before we can let him check out." Sakura just ordered a nurse as she left the treatment room. Sighing she looked at the clock, only half an hour to go and her shift would be over. Gladly, since it was her birthday and she was friggin tired. The fact that she knew that her parents won't let her sleep in and her friends wouldn't leave her alone was another reason why she wished to go home on time. She just lifted her coffee cup as she heard the door to the ambulance swing and some strange noise following the first sound. Then it was silent for a short while but a loud 'thud' broke the silence, which was followed from a high pitched scream of a nurse. Sakura jumped out of the staff room and dashed down the corridor, just to find man collapsed on the floor, ugly injuries already visible. As she looked closer she felt like her heart was stopping to beat.  
"Kakashi-sensei!" she gasped, grabbing under his arms and lifting him up.  
"Don't stand there rooted, help me!" she called angrily at the nurse, who pulled herself together and grabbed his feet, helping the pink haired kunoichi to put him down on the nearby plank bed.  
"Get the OP ready." She ordered and rolled the bed down the corridor. "And then clean this here up." _

_It took her quite an effort to peel him out of his vest and pullover, the trousers were removed easier. She sucked in a sharp breath as she examined the wounds more closely.  
"What the hell have they __**done**__ to you?" she breathed as she started to heal the biggest wound on his chest. As it had stopped bleeding and a thin layer of skin started to build she rolled him over to treat the wounds at his back. Deep cuts and two stabbing wounds, gladly missing vital organs. It took her a while to fix them. Meanwhile the next shift had started and the medic who told her that he would take over quickly left the room as she threw the next heavy looking object after him. Like she would let go of her sensei right now! His state was critique; he had lost lots of blood. She was wondering how he even had managed to reach the hospital. The chakra-healing was done and she was wrapping the wounds with bandages as she saw him flinch.  
"I'll get you fixed up, I promise." She mumbled to him. She had just placed the i.v. as his right eye fluttered open.  
"Sa… Sakura-chan…" he mumbled.  
"I'm here." She said calmly, patting his arm. "It's ok. You should sleep now." He just nodded and closed his eye again. While she sat down next to his bed, watching him closely. About an hour later she had fallen asleep, her head resting on the mattress next to his hand. She woke up as she felt something moving on her hair. After blinking several times she saw that he was looking at her.  
"Feeling better?" she asked him, her eyes still worried.  
"Yeah." He mumbled, and then flinched again.  
"I'll give you some painkiller, and then it should be better." She said and stood up, walking over to a small cupboard in the corner of his room.  
"Sakura-chan…" he mumbled as she had injected the medicament.  
"What's up? You need something else?" He slightly shook his head.  
"Happy birthday." He tried a smile.  
"Thanks." She smiled tiredly down on him.  
"You should go home now, your family is waiting." He mumbled silently.  
"They can wait, it's more important to get you fixed."  
"I __**am**__ already, thanks to you. You shouldn't ruin your day because of me."  
"It would be ruined if I'd leave you now, not knowing if you're out of the woods." She stated and looked down on him with an arched brow.  
"It's ok, really." He assured her.  
"Ok, but I'll bring you a piece of cake later." She said and stood up, patting his hand again.  
"Just make sure you stay alive."  
"Promise." He grinned and winked before she left the room._

_He had felt so weak, he didn't imagine that he would make it up to the hospital, but he did it, and then he broke down in the corridor. He could remember soft fingers tracing over his skin, carefully touching him not to cause any pain. He heard a soft voice mumbling through the thick curtain of unconsciousness and then he felt the need to look to whom that voice belonged. As he saw the pink hair he knew who it was and wished he was dreaming. But as he said her name and she told him he was right he felt really embarrassed. Being treated by his former student wasn't really what he had wished. But she sounded so caring, he really felt safe. And then she refused to leave, which was ridiculous. Why should she stay and spoil her own birthday? He knew that it was her last one at home, since she had talked about moving to her own apartment as they sat at Ichiraku's two months ago. And really, a few hours later she came back, carrying a big piece of b-day cake._

_-End flashback-_

She had shown pretty well over the last years that she had matured. But nonetheless a part of his brain still told him that she's the little pink haired girl who was unable to fend for herself.  
"What's up? Something wrong?" she asked him as she caught him looking zoned out.  
"What? No. Everything's fine." He stated, flashing her an unseen smile.

A while later they sat down at the river, he was seated against a tree while she was sitting at the edge of the river, leaving her feet in the cold water.  
"Ahh." She sighed in relief. "That's just wonderful."  
"Yeah." He stated, while dragging his famous orange book out of his pocket.  
"How do you enjoy the nature when you always stick your nose into that book of yours?" she asked, without even looking at him. She simply knew him too well already.  
"I am enjoying it. That doesn't mean that I can't read while doing so." He replied.  
"If you say so." She mumbled, pulling out her hair band and combing through her hair with her fingers. That move really caught his attention.  
"Sometimes I still try to understand you." She chuckled and lay down, her feet still in the cold water. She rolled the shirt up a little to expose a bit of her stomach to the sun.  
"You shouldn't do that." He stated after a while.  
"What?" she asked back lazily.  
"You'll get a sunburn." 'And you distract me too much from reading.' He thought.  
"Never mind, I'm a medic. Forgotten?"  
"No." he simply stated.

Half an hour later she stood up and trotted over to him, plopping down next to him in the shadow of the tree.  
"Why do you always act that way?"  
"Which way?"  
"Still acting like a teacher! I'm not a kid anymore." She said, looking at him curiously.  
"Old habits die hard." He grinned.  
"But you expect that from me." She stated, slightly shaking her head.  
"If you want me to change some of my habits, then set a good example, _**sensei**_." She teased, flicking a finger against his chest.  
"Then show me that you're worth it, being treated like an adult. Because that…" he stated, pocking her sunburned stomach with his right index finger. "… simply shows me that you're still a kid."  
"Yeah, of course." She stated, rolling her eyes. "Just because you never see the sun. Even Kurenai or Gai get sunburned."  
"It's no miracle with Gai." Kakashi chuckled. "Running around butt-naked deserves something like that."  
"Ew." Sakura made. "Now that's an information I didn't want to have."  
"Understandable."

A while later she started dozing, the comfortable silence between them stretching. Both were happy to have Naruto back, but those silent moments were something they really treasured, since they got so used to it while he was gone.  
"Why don't you wear that sleeveless shirts outside of your four walls?" she asked after a while.  
"Nani?" He asked, looking puzzled.  
"I mean it's summer, it's hot and you still wear all that long-sleeved stuff. Isn't that too warm for you?"  
"Um, actually I'm used to that." He stated. "Why?"  
A grin made its way to her face. "Because in a pullover it's something similar to being cooked in one's own juice and the other thing would look better."  
"You think so?" he chuckled.  
"Yeah, I think so. And I'd bet other ones do so too."  
"I never cared much for the opinions of other ones." He replied, still smirking.  
"I know." She sighed. "I've learned that already."

A short while later she stood up and stretched.  
"Ne…" she said, slightly tugging at a strand of his hair, "How about an ice-cream?"  
"Hmm…" he made, and acted like he would think about it.  
"Give yourself a kick." She grinned and snatched his book away, holding it behind her back.  
"You're such a lazy bone."  
"Sakura…" he said, his tone warningly. "Give me back my book."  
"Hmm…" she made, mimicking exactly his tone. "I think I won't. If that's the only way to make you move I think I'll keep it." She grinned mischieviously.  
"Sakura…"  
"Or if you still refuse to stand up I might drop it as well into the river." She mused, taking two steps back.  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."  
"Right. Because if I were you I wouldn't spent my time reading such… _books_." She said the last word nearly with disgust and took two more steps back.

Within an instant he was on his feet, reaching out to snap the book back, but Sakura wouldn't give up that easily. Teasing him was something tricky, and sometimes the only way to get emotions out of him, but it could earn her some bruises as well. Right now she didn't really care. The sunlight and the wonderful day supported her in her playful attitude. And since he had more or less said that she still was acting like a kid she could as well completely act like one. But she hadn't thought about the fact that she was wearing flip-flop shoes and not her sandals, which caused her to slip a little and thanks to Kakashi she fell down, but he with her. The contact to the ground knocked a good amount of air out of her lungs; the rest did her former teacher as he half ways landed on her. He managed to catch at least half of him from burying her under himself. He rolled his visible eye but started grinning as he saw the wide smile over her face.  
"See, that happens when you steal old men's books." He stated, standing up again.  
"Sure, because you're sooo old." She stated sarcastically. "Right now you nearly act like Naruto." She stated and handed him over his book before standing up and straightening her clothes. He didn't really caught her sarcasm; he was still too distracted from the fall. First he had felt her firm breasts against his chest, then he had smelled her light scent of rose-perfume she used and then as he stood he saw a little more leg than he should've.  
"Kakashi?" she asked him, wondering what was up since he looked zoned out again.  
"Nani?"  
"Have I hit you somewhere or what? You're looking moony." She stated.  
"No, you haven't hit me." He said. 'At least not in the way you might think.' He thought.  
"Fine. And now?"  
"What?"  
"Oh man… sometimes you really act like an old man." She sighed. "I meant the ice-cream."  
"If you want one, let's go."  
"Now that's an answer." She grinned.


	3. Chapter 3

And the next chapter... I'm soooo glad that so far you like it. :D

* * *

Half an hour later they sat on the roof of the academy, where their team first met. He had his nose stuck in his book again while she ate her ice. She sat where she had back then, like he leaned against the railing. As she was finished she stood up and walked over to him, leaning against the railing too, watching over the village. It was strange somehow to look at the villages surface right now, with the memories of how it had been back then still in mind. Even though the demolitions of the past have been repaired, the feeling of the scars still remained. Her eyes travelled over the streets she was used to go since back then, seeing that some houses in the area she had lived until she had moved had been rebuilt and she never really had realised that they had been destroyed. Her own home was farther away, in the outskirts, like most of the Jonin apartments. She still wasn't really used to the fact that she already was a Jonin. Naruto had made it one year quicker than her – three years ago – which showed herself how much time already had passed. Shortly her gaze wandered over to the Uchiha district, a frown appeared on her face as long as her eyes rested there, but disappeared immediately as she looked away, over to the Hyuga's.

She didn't notice that Kakashi was watching her carefully, and the frown was something new to him. They really had all grown; none of them was a kid anymore. Even Hinata had become a Jonin one year ago, now completely lacking the shyness she had during her Genin-days. Much to Naruto's benefit, since she made sure he kept his ass out of danger. Under them Kurenai walked down the streets, her son closely walking next to her as if he wanted to make sure no one could come near to her.  
Sakura watched them walking by and a sad smile made its way on her face. Asuma's death was a heavy punch in the gut, Ino stayed with her for nearly one week, being unable to do anything straight, mostly crying silently. Shikamaru had changed the most because of that, being the boys godfather and personal trainer. 'Speaking of him.' she thought as she saw him turning round the corner, obviously doing something for the academy again. He couldn't resist helping Iruka, since that wasn't nearly a big drag as a normal mission would be. Little Asuma let out a cry of joy and dashed straight at the Nara, who couldn't help but smile at the kid.  
She sighed and looked up to the sun. Only a few puffy clouds drifted by lazily. The village was so quiet… until a really loud scream nearly made her jump, which earned her a chuckle from the silver haired man standing next to her.

"Have you already forgotten how loud Iruka can be?" he snickered.  
"Sort of, I guess. In my memories he was much more silent." She grinned, again back in the good old times.  
"Yeah. Much had been different back then." He mumbled. "The teams were easier to handle."  
Her expression hardened as he said 'team' and he wondered why.  
"Yeah." She sighed. "You're right. Like always."  
"Naw, not always." He said, putting away his book, looking over the village together with her.  
"It seems like Gai can't let go, huh?" she grinned after a while.  
"Sad but true." He grumbled, because the green spandex-wearing man walked up their street again.  
"I hope he doesn't show up this evening." She mumbled after another silent moment.  
"Why?"  
"The girls come around." She smiled. "It has been a while since we all sat together."  
"Isn't it weird that you still call yourself girls?" he grinned.  
"Naw, because we're still under thirty. And when we reach the big fat 3 we will think about how we're going to call us then. Maybe we'll just stay 'girls' unless we're getting grey." She flashed him a wide smile.  
"That understand who might…" he mumbled, but felt happy to know that she felt well.

As they went home later that afternoon and were about to part she said:  
"When we're getting too loud, than please let me know. Not that the old lady in your house starts to act crazy again. Once a day is clearly enough."  
"Yosh." He made a mock bow. "Just as you please."  
"And you call yourself old…" she said, letting the sentence trail off while shaking her head slightly.  
"Thanks for wasting time with me." She smiled. "Have a nice undisturbed evening."  
"Same for you." He said, turning to leave. "See you around."

Later in Sakura's kitchen:

"Ino! Would you stop acting like a diva?" Sakura snapped as she placed the food on the table.  
"I don't!" the blonde barked back.  
"Of course you do! It was Hina-chan's choice today!"  
"Chicken-breast in your salad won't hurt you." Tenten stated, rolling her eyes.  
"If you think so! But it's not you who's dieting."  
The three other girls groaned in unison.  
"Again?" Hinata asked. "I thought Shikamaru told you already that it doesn't matter to him."  
"He did, over and over. But I simply don't want to look like Choji."  
"You won't." Tenten sighed. "Simply because you don't eat that loads."  
"Listen to Tenten." Sakura stated. "Eat normal, keep up your training and you'll stay as slim as you are."  
"But I'm getting fat!" the blonde complained.  
"Then let go of your chocolate." Hinata grinned, knowing Ino too well that that's something she clearly won't.  
"Ok, I surrender. I'll eat the chicken."

They had a wonderful chatty dinner together and were doing the dishes afterwards in teamwork. They loved staying in Sakura's kitchen, since it gave them a good sight out on the streets. It was already getting dark outside, the lanterns slowly flickering to life. The window was open, leaving them enjoy the breeze that came slightly into the room.  
"You know what we're celebrating today?" Sakura asked grinning, while taking a bottle of Champaign.  
"Of course." Tenten and Hinata grinned; Ino just nodded and put the glasses on the table.  
As all of them had sparkling wine they clinked glasses and cheered all four:  
"One year out of the Uchiha-fan-club!"

_Kakashi lay on his sofa, still reading his book until it became too dark to read anymore. The happy chatting of the girls on the opposite side of the road was a constant background noise the whole evening already, but the plopping cork caught his attention. Out of the Uchiha-fan-club? What was going on there?_

"One year anniversary. I still can't believe that." Tenten grinned. "I never thought that you two would manage that."  
"Glad that we have never been in that club." Hinata grinned.  
"Actually I could start a Nara-fan-club…" Ino mused smirking. "But it would be such a drag, and actually that girl in the decoding-office still annoys me to no end."  
"See see, there's someone jealous." Sakura giggled.  
"Come on! That freak isn't a competition to me!"  
"Nope, in that point you're right." The Hyuga chuckled.  
"Strange that all…" Tenten said, obviously travelling in her thoughts.  
"What?" Ino asked.  
"How everything had changed."  
"Yeah. I thought about that today as well." Sakura nodded in agreement.  
"When?" the blonde asked.  
"I was standing on the academy's rooftop with Kakashi, looking over the village. So many things had changed. I saw Asuma had become quite faster."  
"Yes, he has." Ino said a sad expression on her face. "I wonder what he would say…"  
"I'd bet he'd be proud." Hinata stated calmly.  
"Of course he would." Tenten agreed.

"I miss him." Ino said after a while. "I mean his steady smoking was annoying to no end, but I really miss his laughter. It's like the team had died, somehow."  
"I know that." Sakura sighed.  
"Well, it's not that one of your team died." Ino said, arching a brow in curiosity.  
"All teams have changed. No team 10, 8, 7 or Gai anymore." The pink haired stated.  
"Yeah." Hinata nodded. "Team Shino, Team Neji, Team Shikamaru and Team Kakashi, the complete new 'old' ones."  
"Just lacking the 'sensei's'." Tenten smirked. "Except for yours." She said, looking at Sakura.  
"We're not _**that**_ different." she said. "Each of our teams consisting of three Jonin, so we fit in."  
"But Kakashi is old." Ino snorted.  
"No, he isn't!" Sakura said sharply, surprised by her own voice. "He's just 33, that's not old! Shisho's getting old, but not him."  
"No need to bark, forehead." The blonde teased. "It wasn't meant mean. But since when do you defend him that hard?"  
"Since he had been the only steady part for quite a while. Sasuke had left; Naruto had left; only we both remained. Naruto came back, left again, came back, left again, Sasuke stayed away… so no wonder. He somehow was the only one to cling on to."

"Would piss me off as well if my team had been this ripped apart." Tenten stated.  
"Me too." Hinata said.  
"Yeah, me as well. Even though Shikamaru's grumblings sometimes get heavy on my nerves I'd miss him around."  
"See? That's why I miss my team too."  
"So you don't look at Sasuke as a team member anymore?" Hinata asked.  
"Not really." The pink haired said dryly. "He rarely had said anything, and the three of us can cover up his missing pretty much."  
"It was obvious that you liked Team Kakashi from the first moment." Ino grinned.  
"Is that so?"  
"Yeah. Remember? You've complained like hell about that Sai-guy and Yamato."  
"Right." Tenten grinned even wider. "Remember when she said she'd drag Kakashi out of hospital personally and beat Yamato in with her own hands?"  
"Come on, stop that! You don't need to wash old laundry." Sakura whined.  
"But it's true."  
"I've never denied it. Truly I missed him around. He's the perfect balance to Naruto's loud behaviour and my… well… sometimes over-boiling temper."  
"At least you finally admit that Tsunade had rubbed off on you."  
"There's no need denying the obvious." Sakura sighed.  
"Wise words."  
"I know, it were Kakashi's."

_Now that was interesting. They exited the Sasuke-fan-club. He inwardly chuckled, so she finally was able to move on. Good to hear, but what surprised him was Sakura's raised voice as Ino picked on him. He was used to that right now; the blonde nearly teased everyone around. He knew that the team was important to her, that was something one could clearly feel, but she never really speaks about it._

"So he's rubbing off too." Ino grinned.  
"Supposed to be, right?" Sakura grinned back.  
"Sooo…" Tenten started. "What about the upcoming graduation exams?"  
"Naruto-kun has already ants in his pants; he can't wait to take care of a Genin-team." Hinata smiled.  
"Yeah, me too. Shikamaru sneaked out of that, he said he already has enough work with the decoding-shit." Ino grinned.  
"I'm looking forward to it too. With Neji I'm not that sure, but Lee behaves just like Naruto." Tenten stated.  
"Well, I sneaked out of it as well. Tsunade-shisho wanted me to take on a team, but I refused."  
"Why?" Ino asked astonished.  
"Hmm… hard to tell… I think I'm not the person who can teach things properly and it's hard to let them fight for themselves before finally stepping in."  
"Don't tell me that you're too much of a mother hen to do that." Ino laughed.  
"I think it has other sources." Tenten mused.  
"Oh yeah?" Sakura asked her, a brow slightly arched.  
"Yeah. You're rarely put on missions, and you don't like the easy stuff. Being in charge of a Genin-team means that you have to put that through until they reach Chunin-status. Seeing how long some of us took to gain that… I bet that you simply like to go on kick-ass missions, and don't want to give that up. Right?"  
"Maybe…" Sakura mumbled, looking out of the window and up to the moon. "Maybe you're right."

"Are you sure that everything is alright forehead?" Ino asked silently as Tenten and Hinata had left.  
"Why not?" Sakura asked back.  
"You seem a little strange the last time, so I just wonder."  
"Don't say that you're worried." The pink haired kunoichi laughed.  
"A little." Ino said, her look still focusing on green orbs.  
"You wreck your brain about so many things these days, Ino." Sakura sighed. "But nonetheless I have to say that I like it to know that you still care."  
"Good that we're back to normal again, huh?"  
"You can say that." Sakura yawned. "How about going to bed?"  
"Sounds good to me." The blonde yawned too, following her sister-like friend into the sleeping room.  
"Do you still kick when you sleep?" She asked grinning.  
"Find out." Sakura shot back laughing.

"Strange how everything had turned out to be." Ino mumbled after they had settled down in Sakura's bed.  
"Yeah. To think that feelings can change that fast…"  
"What do you mean with fast? That Uchiha had left nearly seven years ago. Many things have changed in that time. I know when I reached the point where I finally realized that it had been a simple childish crush on him, but when had been your time?"  
"I don't know, honestly. I'm wondering that quite often." Sakura sighed and looked up to the ceiling.  
"Sakura… has the fact that you refuse to teach a Genin-team has something to do with your ex-sensei?"  
"Wha…? Ino! In which wicked ways is your brain working?"  
"I was just thinking… maybe you feel like betraying him with picking the lead of a team, that's why I asked." A long deep sigh was answer to that statement.  
"Sort of." Sakura finally managed to say.  
"Why?"  
"Naruto keeps teasing him with the fact that he had gotten older, it's no secret, we all get older each day, but somehow I have the feeling that these teasings are like constant little stings. I just think that it would prove Naruto's point…"

"That's stupid." Ino snorted. "And you know that. You're capable in teaching, I'm proof of that and you know it. I bet that what you're up to do would piss him off more. Every good Jonin is needed, and the fact that you're the best here in the whole village when it comes to chakra-control – even if that may sound like Iruka – which is really essential in performing good jutsu - it's a crime to keep that away from little wannabe's."  
"I know."  
"Besides, you're no longer a kid but an adult woman. I bet he recognised that as well. Your thinking honours you, but that's simply bullshit. I bet if you'd ask Tsunade to let you go on missions she won't say no, at least when she knows that medical assistance is needed. And since you're a ways better fighter than Shizune…"  
"Ino, no need to push it like that. I know what you mean." Sakura moaned into her pillow, already regretting to have asked her blonde friend to stay overnight.  
"Come on forehead! Don't whine! I'm just pointing it out to you! Or is that all put up because you want that lazy bum of ex-sensei to see how much you've grown and that he can be proud on you?"  
"Ino! Why are you so focused on him? I know that I can stand alone, and there's no need to proof that to anyone. Unlike you I don't have the need to rub that into everyone's face and since Naruto and I became Jonin he's pretty aware of the fact that we're no kids anymore."  
"So why do you put up such a show then?"  
"Why can't you simply accept the fact that I don't know myself?"  
"Because I can smell that there's another reason, that's the point. And I'm just trying to find out whether you know it and deny it or you simply haven't seen yourself. And if I'm allowed to point that out – to be honest I really so don't care if you want to hear that – you seem to be pretty comfy with hanging around that silver haired man."  
"Ino, go on and you're dead before dawn."  
"Just admit it." The blonde laughed, and caught a knock from Sakuras elbow in her ribcage.  
"Ino…"  
"Why do you always think my head is working in that direction?" the blonde rubbed the bruised part.  
"I mean as comfy as you are around Naruto. It's obvious that you have your very own friendship. Even though I still don't understand how that had come."  
"As I told you already when the others still have been here, simply because he had been there when the rest had gone. And because I feel – at least somehow – that he simply understands."  
"Oh." Ino made, catching the sad tune in her best friend's voice. "Now I see."  
"Took you long enough." Sakura mumbled. "Pig." And both of them laughed before they finally fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Well... another chapter done... Hope you like it. :)

* * *

He groaned as he dragged himself from the sofa and finally into his bed. He felt like he had invaded the 'girls' space by eavesdropping on them, even though he hadn't planned it. He wanted to read on his sofa, that's simply it, but when he was honest to himself he found it ways too interesting what they were talking about. Cursing his very good sense of hearing and the fact that Sakura prefers to sleep with a slightly open window he continued his way into his sleeping room. He had heard every single word they were talking about, even though it had been silently after Tenten and Hinata had left. It was heart-warming to know that Sakura wrecked her head that much about him and his feelings when it comes to the fact that he simply had gotten older a few years, but that's not the way it should be, right?  
But they had some good points as well. Ino was right with the fact that it's a shame that Sakura didn't want to teach, it's really such a waste. Maybe he'll tell her during the next days… to tell the truth he smiled as he heard Ino's musings about their strange friendship, he himself doesn't understand pretty well, but he liked it nonetheless. The sadness that swung in Sakura's voice made him think about the last couple of years. Sasuke hadn't been mentioned that evening, and that really meant something. Ino kept him thinking again as he lay down in his bed. Was Sakura really doing these things just because of respect for him? There truly was no need for that, because he was already proud of her and the blonde knucklehead. At least these two had made something out of their lives, unlike someone else… He cursed himself for the fact that he had paid more attention to him then to them when they were younger, but then again he asked himself if they'd made that much progress under his wings. Probably not. Since Sakura now is ways better than him when it comes to chakra-control and Naruto would've never paid that much attention to his words than he had done to Jiraiya. Thanks heavens the Ero-senin hadn't rubbed off on Naruto in one special way. He grumbled again and felt miserable, even though he had to smile and sometimes fighting hard to keep a laughter from escaping he had eavesdropped on them. Sakura had so much trust and faith in him, the many long hours she had poured her heart out on him were proof of that, and now he had listened to every word she and her friends had said. And nothing of that was meant for his ears. Knowing that he sighed and hoped that sleep would come soon.

The next morning as Sakura and Ino were sitting in the kitchen again for breakfast:  
"Are you still mad at me?" Ino asked after a while.  
"I've never been angry. You would've known that immediately." Sakura stated, chewing on her cereals.  
"OK." The blonde sighed in relief, and was about to say something as she recognised that Sakura wasn't paying attention at all.  
Lost in her thoughts the pink haired looked out of the window and over the street like every morning, waiting for the daily ritual to take place. And after a short while he finally showed up, bare chest again! A short smile rushed over her face and Ino caught it quickly, following the gazes of her friend and her eyes widened at the sight. He truly was hot!  
Sakuras eyes drifted down the street and widened in horror as she saw Gai stomping up the street much too early this day. She took the cork from the last evening and quickly and precisely threw it over against his kitchen window.  
The sound it made when it connected with the glass caught his attention and he looked over to her. A smile rushed over his face as he saw her and she grinned back as reply but nodded her head in Gai's direction. He looked out of the window to what she wanted him to see and his eye grew wide in horror and shortly after he disappeared out of view. Sakura sighed and continued eating her cereals, knowing for sure that Gai won't look up today.

"Is that routine?" Ino asked, reminding Sakura that she still was there.  
"Sort of." The pink haired grinned as the old woman showed up again, shouting names at Gai so he disappeared.  
"Would annoy me."  
"One get's used to it." She smiled again, because a familiar silver haired man appeared back into sight, dressed now, to her disappointment. Waving a thanks over to her and she mouthed him 'never mind'.  
"You really have a nice view here." Ino grinned and caught Sakura off guard. If she'd known that this statement found his way to his ears as well, causing him to smile.  
"INO!"  
"I won't tell anyone, promise." The blonde laughed as reply. "Enjoy your day, thanks for the breakfast." And with that she made a bunk and left.

Looking slightly astonished about Ino's quick escape-like parting she continued her breakfast, looking out on the street again and over to her ex-sensei's apartment. He leant against his kitchen counter, coffee-cup in his hands and gazed out of the window, lost in thoughts. Sakura sighed as she went over to the sink, doing the dishes. Today was a day off again; happy about that fact she started whistling, completely unaware that all the people who could hear her joyful melody smiled at it.

After she had prepared herself for the day she decided that she would do some shopping today. On her way down the road she nearly ran into Naruto.  
"Gomen, Sakura-chan. I haven't seen you."  
"Never mind. Why in such a rush?"  
"I try to catch Hina-chan before she leaves."  
"Leaves?"  
"Yeah, got a mission from baa-chan."  
"Really? If I'd have known that…"  
"Never mind, she was grinning all over when she came home tonight." He flashed a wide grin at his team mate.  
"Um, Sakura-chan… I was thinking… how about a bowl of ramen this eve?"  
"If you pay." She grinned and he started laughing.  
"Of course!"  
"Wow! What an honour! Ok, let's meet at seven at Ichiraku."  
"Fine! See ya later!" he grinned and rushed off.

Sakura stood there for a few blinks before she went on and down the street. It had been a while since she had done a proper shopping tour. Without the girls it wasn't that funny, but alone it was kind of refreshing as well. Four hours later, eight bags heavier and tired like hell she entered her apartment, nearly collapsing behind the closed door.  
"Oh man, that had been a tour." She went into her kitchen and dropped down on a chair after she had fished a cool soda out of the fridge. Sighing she stood up again and went to unpack the bags. She found four new pairs of shoes, a new jacket and coat, a dress, two skirts, three pants, two shirts and one pullover.  
Grinning to herself again for the nice clothes she found she stuffed them into the washing machine. She decided that it would be a good time to take a shower to feel like a living thing again, and so she did. Until she had to meet up with Naruto was still enough time left.

Ino's comments were still nagging, but to tell the truth she didn't really care. It would be a lie to say that she didn't care at all, but not that much… Sure, she could understand why her friend was wondering about the friendship between them both; she sometimes couldn't explain it too. It was a mix out of so many things. Kakashi was older, more experienced but nonetheless somehow timeless. A grin rushed over her face as she remembered how Guy flipped as he found the first grey hair on his head, well, at least Kakashi won't have such a problem. Kurenai had settled down since little Asuma was there, she still made her job, but more teaching in the village than missions outside. Genma and Raido have become older as well, and slower, much to Shizune worries, since both of them were brought to hospital more often.  
She let the warm water ran down her back and rested her head against the cool tiles; all have changed, but not her former sensei. He still was fast, swift in his movements, and the speed at making hand seals… speaking of getting older was more than an insult.

He had told her last year during a sparring session that they have become equals now, since she was a Jonin too, but she was far away from being equal to him. Nonetheless he treated her like one, clearly visible on missions when Naruto wanted to jump in and help her while Kakashi leant back, perfectly aware that Sakura could deal with that stuff alone. Somehow it felt for her like he had stopped in time while she was getting older. And more and more she understood him.  
She nearly jumped as she recognised that she had used up all the warm water and was standing under an icy rain now. Quickly she left the shower, dried herself up and went to dress. Sighing she lay down on the couch a moment later, with one of her favourite books and started reading.

He was used to all the sounds around his apartment, since he lived here for nearly twenty years now, but Sakura still made him listen up. The melody she was whistling now was one he already knew, a good-mood-booster, as she called it, and was totally right with it. He still felt bad since he had eavesdropped on them last night and he hadn't slept well because of that. If Sakura wouldn't have thrown the cork he would've been caught by his 'eternal rival' a while ago. Ino had been right, he truly had recognised that they all were no kids anymore, Sakura especially, as he figured out yesterday. She had looked so damn good in that clothes… shaking his head to get rid of that picture he went to his bathroom to shave and wash. She had been his student after all, and she was younger, ways too young for an old man like himself.  
Truly, there was the little red head in the mission room, which was around Sakura's age who is Raido's long-time lover now, and the age difference between them was even bigger…  
"No." he said to his reflexion in the mirror. "Get that out of you head old boy."

Since he still was banned from mission to recover he had the whole day to hang around and he plopped down on his sofa, book in his hands to waste the time. Later that afternoon he heard Sakura returning and rustling around in her apartment, seems that she had a day off too. He was so cosy with reading until a scream made him jump.  
"Sakura-chan!" 'Naruto', he sighed inwardly. 'When will he learn to be more quiet?'  
"Don't shout like someone's going to kill you." came the kunoichi's reply.  
"Gomen, Sakura-chan.", he grinned sheepishly.  
"Why have you come here? We're supposed to meet at Ichiraku's."  
"I felt like fetching you."  
"Hn." She made as she closed the door behind herself. "Let's get going. I bet you woke up Kakashi now."  
"Old man, sleeping all afternoon…" he mumbled and caught a good whack on his head from Sakura.  
"Ow! What was that for?"  
"For calling him old man, you moron. He is not old."  
"He's older than us."  
"Wow, now that's news." She stated sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Nearly fifty percent of the village is older than us. And old means getting slower, and I can't see that happening."  
"No. He's still too fast…"  
"See. You can call him old the day you can outrun him."  
"Man, that's never!" the blonde complained.  
"Well, that's **your** problem after all, right?" she grinned at him. "And if you don't understand why I whacked you, when you call Kakashi old it has the same statement-quality as Sai talking about your… you know."  
Naruto looked like she had hit him full-speed into the face.  
"Are you… are you serious?"  
"Yes, I am." She stated, still smiling to herself. "You should finally start thinking about what you say and do, since you're everything else but a good example for Genin."

As they sat at Ichiraku's over their ramen bowls:  
"Ne, why are you so overprotective about him?"  
"Who?"  
"Sensei."  
"He's the last one normal who's left." Sakura stated bluntly.  
"Hmm, right." he nodded and finished the rest of his soup. "He's somehow special."  
"Yeah…" Sakura smiled and nodded.  
"The one moment he's making fun with us and the other he's killing, somewhat strange, huh?"  
"Yes, but we're like that as well when we're out on missions, don't forget that."  
"Never. Quite often he saved our butts."  
"Yeah he did."  
"Have you heard from Sasuke?" he asked her curios.  
"No, what do you mean?"  
"He split up with that girl of his squad."  
"Where do you have that from?"  
"He himself. Met him on the last mission."  
"Still too much of a chicken to come home, huh?" she asked him.  
"Yeah. Bet he's afraid you'd rip him to shreds."  
"Honestly, I couldn't care less." She said, ordering a cup of green tea.  
"I know. I already told him."  
"You have what?"  
"Told him that if he's just wetting his pants because he fears you it's for nothing."  
"How had he looked?"  
"Wait… I guess like this…" he said and pulled a face.  
"Ok, a little bit more Sasuke-bastard but somehow like that."  
"That was truly a good one." She grinned.  
"So you really don't care?"  
"He's old enough to decide where he wants to go."  
"That's not an answer."  
"Naruto, leave it. That's the same with magnets, the same poles are repelling each other."  
"Now that's something I can understand." He grinned sheepishly.  
"You know, sometimes I ask myself how you could've become a Jonin." She stated dryly.

One week later, Sakura just had half time of her graveyard-shift – as she called the nightshift – Naruto and Kakashi returned from a hard A-ranked mission, both worn down.  
"What the heck have you done?" she called out as she saw Naruto dragging their former sensei along.  
"Wasn't as easy as we thought it would be." The blonde said, helping her laying him down on a plank bed.  
"I'd bet that you've looked the same…"  
"Nearly."  
"Oh man…" she sighed, rolling the bed into the next free treatment room.  
"Can I help you with something?" the blonde asked.  
"Hmm… not really, no. Sit down and stay out of my way."  
He did as she told him and watched her working, putting away the rags that have been clothes once, cleaning the wounds, healing what necessary with chakra, sewing the rest and then bandaging.

"Man, I'm just glad that I heal that fast." Naruto mumbled after a while.  
"That's because of the Kyubi, you know that. Be glad for that feature."  
"I am. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to carry him."  
"Hmm…" she just made and sat down on a chair next to the bed.  
"How long do you have to work?" he asked her. After a short look on the clock she sighed.  
"Over, at least for now."  
"You look damned tired."  
"I am. Graveyard shift for two weeks, and just one is over. That's so damned hard." She yawned.  
"Why do you have to do it that long?"  
"Because that gives me one whole week off afterwards." She rubbed her eyes.  
"Nonetheless it's shitty."  
"Tell that shisho. I wanted to join you on that mission."  
"Maybe you should teach a team, that would keep you away from here."  
"Ts, as if that would be possible." She yawned again and stood up. "Go home Naruto, Hina-chan's waiting."  
"Yeah, right. How long does he have to stay?"  
"Let's see how he's later and then I can tell you."

After getting rid of her white coat and handing all important information and data over to the next shift's medic she went back to the room where she had brought Kakashi. Silently she entered and sat down next to his bed again. He always seemed so relaxed when he was sleeping.  
"Seems like this is becoming a habit, huh?" she asked silently.  
"But at least you're keeping yourself alive." She whispered, and nearly soundless she added:  
"I guess I wouldn't stand losing you too."  
A short while later she fell asleep in the chair.


	5. Chapter 5

And again another chapter. Hope you still like it. :)

* * *

Beeping noises were nearly driving him nuts, but he refused to open up his eyes, it seemed to be too much of an effort.  
"What are you doing here?" Tsunades voice cut through his darkness. He thought about what to answer as someone else spoke.  
"Until you entered I'd say that I was sleeping." Clearly Sakura's voice.  
"You should go home. You need rest."  
"He too." Came the more yawned reply. He heard a little paper rustling and a sigh.  
"Sometimes I think he overdoes it." The Godaime stated.  
"If he wouldn't be that resistant against treatment… I'll send him home; Iwashi and Tonbo shall bring him there. You stay at home until he's fit again. At least one week, no training, not too much movements and loads of rest. You know the procedure."  
"You know what you're putting me through?" Sakura asked back.  
"Tell me one who could keep a better eye on him and who has a better way with him. He refuses to listen to me and no one else dares to tell him what to do, so that leaves you."  
"Yosh." Sakura sighed and stood up.  
"Three days chakra blockers, moving only allowed when needed for to go to the bathroom."  
"I know."  
"Tell me if he makes trouble."  
"Shisho…"  
"I know." The older one chuckled amused. "Go now, he'll be home in five minutes."

Inwardly he groaned, just lying in bed was the most horrible thing to think about, it made him feel useless, and to have Sakura around as personal supervisor…  
Iwashi and Tonbo arrived just a while later, carefully lifting him from the plank.  
"Must've been a tough mission." Iwashi mumbled.  
"E… so it seems."  
"Let's just hope he doesn't wake up…"  
"Afraid of his reaction?" Tonbo snickered.  
"Do you want to deal with a pissed Hatake Kakashi?"  
"Nope man."  
"Neither do I, now move, otherwise we'll have to deal with a pissed Godaime."  
"That's definitely worse…"  
With the last thing he had to agree.

Sakura was standing in front of his door, spare key in her hand, waiting for them to arrive.  
"Finally." She mumbled as they arrived with the 'sleeping' Jonin.  
"Morning Sakura-san." Iwashi greeted, Tonbo just nodded.  
"Morning." She replied, unlocking the door letting them enter. As they found the sleeping room they lay him down on the bed, and the kunoichi tucked him in.  
"Thanks. Now it's my part. Have a nice day."  
"Thank you too, Sakura-san. Same for you." And with that they left again.  
"How long are you awake?" she asked him as she leant against the door frame.  
"Nani?"  
"You're a bad liar, senpai." She chuckled.  
"Since Tsunade woke you up."  
"Fine, then I don't have to explain anything. I've already injected you chakra blockers last night as I was finished with treating you. You stay in bed and rest, the best thing now is sleep. I'll plop down on the couch, if you need something, than call."  
"I don't need…" he started, but the look she shot him was enough to silence him.  
"You're acting like a kid. Others would be glad to have someone caring. Now you should sleep."

She turned around and was about to leave as he mumbled "Thanks." Which made her smile.  
"I'll leave the door ajar, don't do anything stupid."  
Since his living room was opposite of his sleeping room and the sofa was in a good position she could keep an eye on him while she was lying on the sofa. But it just took her a few minutes and then she fell asleep again. She simply was too damn tired, but not only she, he as well. Several hours later she woke up again and went to look after him. He still was sleeping and she didn't know what to do, so she went through his apartment, finding laundry and dishes to do, so she at least had something to do. It was obvious that a bachelor was living in here, which made her smile, because it showed clearly that the great copy Nin Kakashi was human after all. Two hours later the whole apartment was completely cleaned and she looked into the sleeping room again.  
"What have you done?" he asked.  
"Cleaned up. Your apartment is one big dust trap." She stated. "Are you hungry?"  
"A little." He stated, but his stomach called him liar, because it rumbled really loud. Snickering she left the room and went into the kitchen to cook a soup for him.

"Can you eat on your own or do you need me to feed you?" she asked him as she brought him a steaming bowl.  
"I guess I can do it alone." He mumbled.  
"Good. Eat slow. I'm not going to peek." She said and left the room again.  
"Not curios?" he called after her.  
"Oh, I am, but I'm not going to take advantage of your actual state. That wouldn't be fair, right?" she called back, smiling over his question.  
"Now I'm a nuisance to you." He stated as she fetched the bowl when he was finished.  
"No, you're not." She said and smiled. "See it as pay back. You took care of me, now it's my turn."  
"Sakura…"  
"Kakashi… You're not a drag, just in case that's your worry, and it's no problem for me to help. So give it a rest." She said and sat down on the bed next to his feet.  
"It's really no problem. At least for me."  
"But…"  
"Hey, it's not like there's someone waiting for me."  
"It just feels odd." He mumbled.  
"Ts, nonsense."  
"Oh yeah? An old man like me lying useless around and a young woman like you stuck here watching over me."

She just looked at him with a raised brow.  
"You know that so doesn't sound like you." She stated. "If you feel embarrassed then just say it. I can leave you and just drop by like in the hospital."  
"That's not what I meant." He mumbled.  
"No?"  
"No. It's been a long time since someone cared."  
"Really? That's what you think. You should know already how important you are to Naruto and me."  
"Is that so?"  
"Yes, you really should know that."  
"Hmm."  
"But it's easier your way." She mumbled.  
"What?"  
"Dealing with all that shit. One doesn't feel that bad when you think you're alone with all the things one has to do on missions."  
He just looked at her.  
"See? I already understand you quite good." She smiled.  
"Then I have to make sure to keep some secrets, huh?" he chuckled.  
"You're one big walking secret, be sure about that one." She laughed and stood up.  
"Why can't I fight the feeling that this is slightly annoying you?" he teased.  
"Maybe because you're not wrong with it." She grinned and went to eat something herself.

Later that day when he came back from the bathroom he struggled and nearly fell, but she caught him right in time. She grabbed him at the waist and his head sunk on her shoulder.  
"Are you alright?" she asked him concerned.  
"Blurry view and a little spinning…" he brought out.  
"And you thought that you don't need help." She mumbled and helped him back to his bed.  
"Sorry…" he mumbled slowly.  
"Don't apologise. You're hurt, what have you expected? You're not a fast healer like Naruto."  
"No one is." He stated weakly.  
"I know." She sighed and went to fetch him some water.  
"Must be a shock for you to see me so weak huh?"  
"Honestly… no." she answered and put the glass on the nightstand. "It makes you human."  
"Is that so?"  
"Yes. And it's good to know." She smiled warmly down on him.  
"Sometimes it would be interesting to know what you're thinking…" he mumbled.  
"That would completely bore you out." She chuckled and lay a hand on his forehead. "You're developing fever. You should sleep now."  
"Hmm…" he murmured and closed his eye. Inwardly Sakura sighed, gladly he didn't put up such a fight as he was used to when he was at the hospital. Maybe he didn't want to mess with her, but who knew? As his breathing was steady and calm she stood up and went into his living room again, plopping down on the sofa and looking out of the window.

She had done the cleaning this afternoon without really looking and noticing her surroundings, but now as the night was slowly placing its cover over the village and everything became quiet she started to think about that all. He had to live here quite long, since some pieces of the furniture really looked old, like the kitchen cabinets, but nonetheless it doesn't feel like an lived-in apartment. It somehow lacked the warmth and the comfort a flat should have. It felt empty and desolate. 'How lonely he must feel…' and with that thought tears welled up which she hardly fought back. Always she thought she had been alone as Sasuke had left, and she had told him that over and over, but now while sitting on his sofa, in his apartment, taking in all the emptiness around she recognised what a fool she had been. Only a few photographs were to be seen, most of them keeping people she never had seen, which clearly meant that they're deceased. When she thought about the moving-in present, she really had loads of friends: Hina, Ino, Tenten, Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba, even Shino, Lee, Neji, Kotetsu, Izumo, Shizune, Temari, Kankuro and Gaara as well. Not to forget about the other dear persons she had: her parents, Tsunade, Iruka and Kakashi, Kurenai, little Asuma somehow even Guy. So it was more than just stupid to say that she was alone. 'Stupid me' she thought and then she tried to think about who was so close to the silver haired man in the other room.

But no matter how hard she tried, she found no answer. Her close friends knew her secrets, dreams, wishes, but no one knew anything about him. Even though they had spent much time together as Naruto had left she knew nothing about him. He still was somehow like he had been when they first met him. Simply Hatake Kakashi, who has the hang to be late and loves reading smutty-books. Sure, he had been seen with Guy, Genma and Raido in bars but he never talks. The only one who had known more about the always reserved man had been Asuma, and he had literally taken his secrets in his grave. Not even Iruka knew anything she didn't know about him. She had to fight back the suffocating feeling which was creeping up her spine. She drew her feet close and hugged her knees, looking out of the window and up to the rising moon, which bathed her face in his silver light. He was lonely, really lonely and definitely suffering more than she could imagine and she never – never – would say that she was lonely again.

Sakura was completely unaware of the fact that he had been watching her for a while now. With the years he figured out that Sakura was so easy to be read from him and right now this knowledge made him feel uneasy. He had clearly recognised how she took in everything in his apartment, including the emptiness and he could see right now what it did to her. It always had been easy to put up a show in front of them both, Naruto and her, but now he would have no chance at least to lie to her. With that peek behind his façade she knew more than he ever planned to reveal, it was his pain and he never wanted to share it with anyone. He clenched his fist and damned Tsunade for putting Sakura through that all, she had to know perfectly well that she had a bright mind and would recognise something like that quickly. It made him feel bad to see that she suffered. Just that moment she stood up, one silent flowing motion and came over to him. Quickly he faked sleep.

As he felt her cool and soft hand touching his forehead lightly he had to resist the urge to sigh.  
"Still fever." She mumbled silently to herself and then sighed, sitting down next to him. He could feel the warmth of her body, hear her heartbeat and her breathing and more of all, he could feel her looks. He had to fight hard not to open his eyes and look what her eyes were telling.  
"We always knew that you're strong." She whispered and brushed a strand out of his face, so gently, that he wasn't even sure if she had touched him and then stood up.  
"But I had no idea how strong you truly are." And with that she left, walking back to the sofa, leaving him alone again with a lump in his throat. He never thought that she cared that much.


	6. Chapter 6

And as promised the next chapter. Freaks me out to see you like it. ^-^

* * *

Sleep took long for her to come, she lay on the sofa, and hands crossed behind her head and looked out of the window. No wonder he never wanted to be back home so badly. Still wondering how he could live such a live alone and that long and still staying sane she finally fell asleep. She wasn't used to sleeping on the sofa and woke up quite often during the night because of that. Frustrated she grabbed the blanket and a pillow and lay down on the floor, her back would make tomorrow hell for her but that's a price she was willing to pay. Nothing was a problem for her when she could help her friends with it, that's something she had sworn herself a while ago.  
"You could've gone home…" she heard a nearly whispered voice and slowly opened her eyes. Kakashi was sitting in the corridor, leaning against the wall, just a few steps away from her.  
"Nope." She yawned and sat up. "I wouldn't have noticed if something happened to you." And with that she stood up, cracking her back and walking towards him.  
"Can't sleep?" she asked and crouched in front of him.  
"Somewhat like that." He answered.  
"Seems to me that this is familiar to you." Now she really had caught him.  
"Gottcha." She laughed and held out her hand. "Sitting on the sofa is better than on the floor."  
"You have a point." He grinned under his mask.

"I know. Do you want tea? I could make one." She offered.  
"No thanks, there's no need to…"  
"What's bugging you?"  
"Nani?"  
"Come on Kakashi, I already told you that you're a bad liar. You seem so… hunted…"  
"Is that so?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, there is a question. Why have you asked Tsunade if she knew what she's putting you through?"  
"That's all?" she looked unbelievingly and then laughed. "Well, actually I expected you to put up a fight, and not act so… reasonable."  
"That's all?"  
"Yeah. But I have a question as well, it came up a few hours ago… because you said putting through… why do you do that to you?"  
"What?"  
"Look around, that's what I mean. This apartment feels like a big show, but not like a loved and really lived-in home. It's just airing sadness. To me it's a miracle that you still live here."  
"As I said, you could've gone home…"  
"And that's all you say?" she asked silently. "I guessed we were friends…"  
"Sakura, you don't understand…"  
"Then explain it to me. How else should I understand? You know that I care for you."  
"You shouldn't."  
"What?"  
"Care."  
"Why?"  
"All the people I allowed to care for me are dead. Asuma was the latest to join."

He kept is voice even and emotionless but Sakura felt like screaming. Why? Simply why did he do this? Was this sort of self-punishment? And if, for what?  
"We all do things we regret once in a while…" she mumbled after a while.  
"You can't apologise to dead ones." He stated dryly.  
"Oh yeah? Then you go and tell that Ino, Shikamaru, Choji and Kurenai." She bit back sourly.  
"That's something different."  
"No, it's not. That's just a matter of what you believe. Naruto believes it, and so do I."  
"As I said, you don't understand."  
"If you think so…" she said. "You should go to bed again, you need rest. Do you need help?"  
"No, I can do that on my own."

Sakura knew that she wasn't supposed to be angry at him, it should be the other way round, she had invaded his space, asked questions she shouldn't have, but nonetheless his reactions upset her. He seems lost in grief and comfortable with it the same time. How could you walk through your life and always keep distances to everyone around? Not even Sasuke was able to do that, though he had chosen the way of an avenger.  
But if there was one thing Kakashi was good at, it was keeping distance. He listened to every problem, he always had an open ear but all one ever got out of him were fake smiles and mostly the things one wanted to hear.  
"Who the hell are you, Hatake Kakashi?" she mumbled silently in direction of his sleeping room. "Who are you?"

Sakura had been told from her mother that life was always easier when you have someone to share it with. And since she was friends with Ino again she knew that her mother was right. A sad smile rushed over her face as she watched the moon wandering, with every day she knew him longer the mystery around him grew.  
As the sun rose slowly and chased the shadows of the night away she yawned and rubbed her puffy eyes. A good morning was definitely something else, but who cares? She waited until the sun stood a little higher and she heard noises out of his bedroom before she went into the kitchen to make him some breakfast and give him his pills.  
"Ohayo." She said as she entered the room.  
"Ohayo." He replied, eying her suspiciously.  
"Please take your medics and don't throw them away."  
"Sakura, because last night…"  
"I shouldn't have asked, that's your business." She said and left the room, not willing to talk about it. She opened the window to let in the sunlight in the hope to chase away at least a little of the screaming sadness.

Around noon she came into his room again, looking if everything was alright and to tell him news.  
"We're moving. I had been at Tsunade's, we'll make a little switch of location."  
"Not back at the hospital…"  
"No." she replied. "Not there."  
And just five minutes later Iwashi and Tonbo appeared, helping him out of the bed and over to Sakuras apartment.  
"I have no guest room, so put him in my bed, right the door here." She said.  
"Hai." They nodded and put him down on her bed where he looked at her questioningly.  
"You should sleep." She just said and left the room with the two Tokubetsu-Jonin.  
"Do you need anything else Sakura-san?"  
"No thanks, I guess we're just fine."  
"Hey forehead!"  
"Ino, some people have door bells or at least knock before they simply enter."  
"What are you two doing here?"  
"Hospital business." Tonbo stated and then said bye to Sakura and the men left.

"You're looking like rain, what's up?"  
"Shisho gave Kakashi in my care."  
"And that's why you look so sad? I thought he isn't that bad?"  
"It's not him, well, not at all… his apartment killed me."  
"And where's he now?"  
"Bedroom."  
"In your bed?" Ino grinned widely.  
"Pig, don't you even dare to speak out what you're thinking." Sakura warned her in a low voice.  
"Is he sleeping?"  
"I hope so. It's the best for him to recover quickly."  
"So forehead, shoot."  
"Living room."  
"Yosh, I'll fetch the ice-cream."  
"Good." Sakura sighed and plopped down on her couch.

"So, how's his apartment? In colours please."  
"Gray." Sakura answered, taking a spoon from Ino. "Mostly grey, a little black and just one tiny spot yellow."  
"Really? Sounds like hell."  
"That's why I arranged the moving. I can't stand one more night over there."  
"Hmm, you don't look like you've slept much."  
"No, I haven't. He wasn't the problem, no fight like in hospital, but the emptiness was suffocating."  
"That hard?"  
"Definitely. I mean, remember Asuma. You knew so much about him. Hobbies, likes, dislikes, wishes, favourite food, his humour… I mean he was familiar. Kakashi is still… a stranger. And he keeps that distance. I was so stupid thinking that I'm alone because Sasuke left, but I had no idea what loneliness truly means."  
"How has it felt?" Ino nearly whispered.  
"Like Shikamaru used his true shadow-binding-jutsu on you, helpless, unable to do anything and slowly crushing you."  
"Hard."  
"Yeah. And he blocks everything out."  
"Maybe it's his way of coping? Asuma-sensei once said that he is a fine man."  
"I know he is, but who is he? All Naruto and I ever get to know – and I don't say Sasuke because he never cared and still is gone – is fake. The smiles, the laughter even the lies he told us for coming late were fake. I know already that he's standing in front of the memo-stone. I know that he had had to be on a team or friends with an Uchiha, where else he should have gotten the Sharingan from? And since there's just one name of an Uchiha engraved around the time he had been in his teens it's plain simple that this person had been the donor."  
"And you said that in your survival training he said 'best friend'."  
"Yeah. So why that all? Who is he truly? The real person, not the fake he always shows us."

"Maybe he doesn't want to scare you."  
"He's scaring me more that way. Every human breaks down, remember how you have been the first week after Asuma's death. You have been a crying, shaking wreck. I guess he's so broken that it maybe would shake us to the bones, but when I'm right, how can _**he**_ keep that up?"  
"Maybe to save the least bit of sanity in his brain."  
"Possible. But it's hard to think that you can find rest when your emotions are bugging you like that."  
"Go and hug him." Ino said, taking another spoon full of ice-cream.  
"Nani?"  
"That's what I did with Shikamaru after we had taken care of that Akatsuki-guys who killed sensei. He never cried, he never showed any emotion around us, always playing the tough guy. One evening I caught him alone, without Choji, on the graveyard. You know that it's hard to find words around a genius, so I simply pulled him in a hug and he started crying. Silently but he did it."  
"Kakashi never is going to do something like that."  
"Just a suggestion, maybe he has another way to release such feelings."  
"Yeah, blaming himself for."  
"You're reading him quite good."  
"I'm watching him like a hawk, since he never reveals anything voluntarily we have to figure out on our own, and since Naruto is somewhat stupid that way… it's like playing a puzzle but he's hardly dropping any pieces."  
"That's what makes him the famous copy Nin." Ino grinned.

"Funny Pig, I nearly roll on the floor." Sakura stated sarcastically and took another spoon ice-cream.  
"I'm trying to cheer you up." The blonde stated simply.  
"It's not working that well…"  
"Where's your nail polish?"  
"Bathroom, cabinet under the basin."  
"Colour?"  
"Green."  
"Yosh."  
After a little rustling Ino came back.  
"Sooo… what are we going to do when you have your next day off?" she asked after plopping down on the sofa again.  
"Dunno… we haven't been at the hot springs in quite a while."  
"Hmm… and afterwards Shushu-ya and then cinema…"  
"Deal." Sakura laughed.  
"See." Ino laughed back. "I know how to cheer you up."  
"Hmm." Sakura yawned.  
"Why don't you sleep a while? I still have time and can look after him."  
"Oh Ino, that would be so wonderful."  
"Good night then." The blonde giggled and continued the work on her friends toe nails.

Kakashi hadn't been sleeping – no – his mind was working on all the last night had been said. As Ino burst into the flat his thinking-process had been disturbed completely. Now as it had became quiet he thought that this would be the best time to use the bathroom without dragging attention on him. Silently he opened the door and slowly walked down the corridor and as he came back he shortly looked into the living room and what he saw made him pause.  
Sakura was fast asleep, looking completely exhausted, while Ino was sitting next to her feet, taking care of her nails. The deep friendship, the deep trust between them both made him smile.  
"Do you need something, Kakashi-san?" Ino asked without even turning her head.  
"No, thanks."  
"Ok, let me know if you need something."  
"Um… ok…" he answered and went back into Sakura's bedroom.

He sighed inwardly as he lay down again. Things had gone a way he never wanted them to. He liked Sakura, and seeing her suffer under his emptiness made him feel even worse than he already did. Why at all was it bugging him that much? Was it because he had seen her breaking down in front of her eyes? Was it because she always tried to show him that she had become strong enough to bear her life alone? He mentally sighed again and took a deep breath to calm himself down and he really felt better. But not because of the breath, no, because of the scent he took in and finally he fell asleep again. Later that day the two female voices woke him up again.  
"Thanks for staying Ino." Sakura said, clearly in a better mood.  
"No problem forehead, I still owe you, you know."  
"Never mind Pig." She grinned at her friend.  
"Good to know." The blonde laughed. "Keep your head up."  
"Yosh. Now go, not that I have a whining Shikamaru here in a while."  
"E… ja nee."

As the footsteps of her friend had been disappeared she sighed and then entered her bedroom.  
"How do you feel?" she asked him as she saw him looking out of the window.  
"Better." Was the short reply.  
"Not really talk active, huh?" she asked and sat down on the mattress.  
"I'm such a burden." He mumbled.  
"When you're thinking that – yes." She stated dryly, causing him to look at her.  
"You've never been a burden, and I don't think that you'll ever become one." She said softly.  
"Naruto is a burden because he always complains and puts up a fight, Shikamaru is a burden because he's griping about nearly everything, but right now… you're everything else than a burden. You're simply an injured man who's lying in my bed." She grinned.  
"Sakura… I mean… I'm sorry."  
"For what?"  
"Last night. I normally don't have guests, I avoid it. Now you know why."  
"It's ok, I shouldn't have asked. I was rude, gomen."  
"Nonetheless…"  
"Kakashi, I'm not a kid anymore, you can't protect me all of my life. I was just… shocked… that's all."

"Don't tell Naruto."  
"Never." She laughed. "You won't ever get rid of him."  
"Yeah…" he chuckled. "That's what I'm afraid of."  
"You know that now I won't buy any of your lies anymore…" she stated and he remained silent.  
"I won't ask you questions, you have your reasons for keeping it to you. It's just… well… you've been there for me and I want you to know that I'm there for you too."  
"I don't want to lavish my worries on you." He said silently.  
"Hey, my life is pretty good. I have a job, an apartment, family and good friends, so don't worry about me. I'm more worried about you. You're the one who's fighting like there's no tomorrow and mostly ends up in hospital afterwards."  
"Thanks for lecturing me, I'll try to keep it in mind ma'am." He stated sarcastically.  
"You better should." She said, poking her finger against his chest. "Because if you don't you'll have to answer for it."  
"You're sounding like Tsunade…" he chuckled.

"It's normal for a teacher to rub off on his students."  
"Is that so?" he asked amused.  
"Yes, it is. You rubbed off as well." She grinned.  
"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"  
"Hmm… your stubbornness. The once-I-made-up-my-mind-thing." She grinned at him.  
"Don't you think that's unfair?"  
"Nope. Unfair would be taking advantage of your actual situation, or the fact that you still treat me as the child I once was."  
"You sometimes still behave like one."  
"You're not always acting as an adult as well, and you know that. I just wonder why you refuse to see the adult in me."  
"Maybe because it would mean that I admit that I've become old."  
"Old_**er**_." She corrected. "And? Where's the problem? If you'd go the other way round you'd be a snotty kid in a few years."  
"You're making fun about it again."  
"Yeah, I do. But who cares? 33 isn't old. You're still strong and fast, so don't make yourself smaller than you are."

"Hn." He just made.  
"And still treating me like a kid would be unfair. That would mean that I'd still be the stupid blind fan-girl, still waiting and crying for an Uchiha who isn't worth it at all." She said and stood up.  
"Take that, old man." She winked and left the room again to cook some tea.


	7. Chapter 7

So... well... another chap. I'm not so satisfied with it... without beta, like always. I hope I could manage to show the feelings properly. So enjoy, and leave some reviews. :)

* * *

She stood in the kitchen and looked over her tea-selection, still grinning about the 'old-man'. 'He'll get me for that later, I'm sure of that.' She thought. She heard his footsteps in the corridor and grinned into the cabinet.  
"Aren't you supposed to stay in bed?" she hardly fought back a laughter.  
"I guess I should, but staying in bed is something for old men." He retorted.  
"Or for patients who have been ordered to do so."  
"Hmm… haven't you said that I'm pigheaded?"  
"I was sure I used the more friendly word, but you get the point." She snickered.  
"That wasn't really nice…" he grinned as he plopped down on a chair.  
"The only way to get an emotion out of you… and I was sure that you'll get me for that." She grinned widely.  
"Am I that predictable?"  
"Sometimes." She laughed. "But don't be mad, I simply couldn't resist **and** _you_ were the one who started it."

Both laughed and Sakura looked at him, still wondering, while he played with the cup on the table in front of him. As he felt her looks he lightly turned his head and looked at her.  
"What's up?", he asked silently.  
"I'm wondering..."  
"About what?"  
"About what had to happen to turn you into who and what you are today."  
"Do you think there had something happened?", he asked in a weak attempt to ward off the question.  
"I don't think it, I know it. The pictures in your living room, your habit with the memo-stone... I know that there had been something with your father and your best friend, the latter was something you admitted yourself."

A long while he didn't say anything, and Sakura didn't dare to ask. Then he closed his eye and took a deep breath before letting out a soundless sigh.  
"I failed my old team because I acted like a complete ass.", he finally said silently.  
Sakura was surprised, she hadn't expected a true answer.  
"Genma once called me a rule-freak, do you remember? You then asked me why and I didn't reply. He referred to that time. That's why I tried so hard to teach you teamwork, to keep you from failing like I did.", he tried to keep his voice calm and even, but he couldn't cut out all of the sadness.  
"Because I was sticking to the rules and thought that I was strong enough to handle things on my own the probably best friend that I had in my life died. He died saving my arrogant and selfish ass."  
"If you truly would have been such a selfish person, what reason would he had to save you?", she asked after another pause of silence.  
"He felt... sorry for me. On our way back home sensei told me that they had spoken with each other about me... my past... He had asked him why I was such an ass..."

Sakura gulped. She felt a big lump in her throat.  
"Is it... is it right what I heard about your father?", she shyly asked after another while.  
"Depends on what you've heard. That he had been a traitor? Or that he had committed suicide?", he asked without any emotion. Sakura paled.  
"The... the latter...", she breathed and he nodded. Her eyes grew wide, but even wider as he continued.  
"I found him. I even pulled out the katana he used for it."  
She felt like someone had pulled the ground under her feet away. That was horrible! She had been told that his father killed himself as Kakashi still was a kid. Tsunade had told her what had happened on that fatal mission, but she couldn't blame Sakumo for putting the lives of his comrades over the mission. She had done so various times already. Slowly she regained the grip on her emotions and looked at him again. Tsunade had also told her that he looked really a lot like his father, it had itched her quite often when she treated him to look what's beneath that mask, but she resisted. It felt like betraying, and she couldn't do that to him.  
"That's why you're wearing that mask, right?", she concluded, which didn't surprise him at all. He nodded again. No wonder he had stiked to that damned rules, since they all had made such a big revolt out of it.  
"And now I've scared you off...", he mumbled.

But her reaction completely surprised him, she softly squeezed his hand and smiled at him warmly.  
"You have... surprised me. I never thought you would trust me that much."  
Surprised? She was the one to talk! She kept up surprising him over and over again.  
"I have my apartment the way it is to remember me what an ass I've been and what an ass I still am.", he said after a while.  
"Idiot.", she burst out and the very second the word was out she slapped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry." But he started laughing.  
"You finally get the point, Sakura."  
"I didn't want to say..."  
"No.", he grinned under his mask. "At least not that way, right?" She blushed a little, damn him, he always knew how to read her.  
"I just thought about it... I mean, he must have been quite a good hearted and nice guy if he saved you even though you have acted... weird."  
"Don't make it smaller, I have acted like a complete moron."  
"If you say so..."  
"Yes, I do."  
"How has he been?", she asked, while standing up and taking out the rest of the ice-cream she and Ino had left over.

"A lot like Naruto.", he said and shook his head as she asked him if he wanted a spoon as well.  
"Well... honestly he was nearly exactly like Naruto."  
"Uchiha Obito, right? I read the name on the stone..."  
"Yes." A sentimental smile was visible in his eye. "He was so clumsy, always late to meetings and came up with the stupidest excuses one could imagine. He was a person who nearly grilled himself with his own fire jutsu."  
"Sounds like he had been a... hmm...", she made, looking for the right word as he spit it out.  
"Looser. That's what they called him, looser Uchiha. And I did as well, never seeing what a good hearted and friendly person he had been. He joked a lot and was always oafish around Rin, that Idiot. He had such a crush on her, but she hadn't realised until he died. She wasted her attention on an ass like me who never looked at her.", his voice became bitter at the end of the sentence and Sakura felt like he was talking about their team when they had been Genin.  
"We're a lot like you have been, right?", she asked and he nodded again.

"Kakashi... don't blame yourself for Sasuke.", she said after another phase of silence. As she looked at him closer she had the feeling that she exactly had hit a sensitive spot.  
"He had chosen to leave us, it was nothing anyone of us could've stopped."  
"If I just...", he started.  
"If I had wings I could fly.", Sakura stated and rolled her eyes, which caused him to shortly smile.  
"You have been a bastard for letting us wait hours, for letting us practise until we collapsed because of exhaustion, for always disappearing and leaving us on our own as soon as mission was over, but if there's one thing you can't reproach yourself for, than it's for failing that selfish, pigheaded, ignorant Uchiha. You don't owe anyone anything, if that's what you think. If Obito truly was like Naruto, he would kick you for thinking that way and kick Sasuke for acting that way."  
A sad smile made its way onto his face, she really had read him well.  
"Do you know what's shocking me?", Sakura said and stood up, stuffing the empty can into the garbage. He looked at her curiously.  
"That you're truly human." He looked at his now cold tea and was wondering himself now. He had truly told Sakura what was still bugging him, what was bugging him the most. Not all, not even how he felt, but she understood nonetheless. She truly had grown.

Her voice dragged him out of his thoughts again.  
"You know what Tsunade told us a while after Asuma-sensei's death?" He shook his head, astonished that she still referred to the deceased Sarutobi as 'sensei' out of respect and honour.  
"Sometimes one has to let go what one loves, to keep it. And I guess she's right. Certainly, we all feel still some sort of pain when we think about him, but we remember him so clearly as if he still would be there. Ino says she still can hear his laughter, the way his voice changed when he was telling stories... those things never get lost and those things are what everyone treasures. I bet he would say you repent enough already, if he would ever have thought that you should pay for what happened."  
He never thought that such words would reach his heart in the way they did. She smiled at him, a little sad as he thought, but she did.  
"You should at least lay down on the couch, rest is important for your healing progress, I'm going to cook some dinner for the two of us."  
"Can I help you?", he asked, feeling even more useless.  
"No."  
"Then at least let me stay here and be company."  
"You won't go, do you?", she asked, already knowing his answer.  
"No.", he replied, a smile audible.  
"Then so be it.", she gave in.

He watched her preparing the food, chopping the vegetables and the meat and he felt like he had when he was a little kid and watched his mother cooking. Back then he thought that he could feel how she loved him because it seemed like she was enjoying cooking when she did it for him. For him cooking was a needed drag to get himself fed, he never made something big, it seemed too much of an effort. But to him it seemed, that it wasn't a pain in the ass for Sakura. It seemed like she loved cooking.  
And he was right with it. She truly loved it, it was fun to her. She experimented a lot and she liked it if she could entertain others with it. Right now she wanted to make something especially good for him to cheer him up. She always thought that there was guilt nagging on him, but she would've never imagined that it was that... worse. He felt guilty for things he couldn't really have changed. If the villagers would've reacted different to what his father did and if his father wouldn't have killed himself to at least die during a mission he would've become someone completely different. A short while she tried to imagine a good mooded happy Kakashi, without a mask but failed miserably and snorted because of it. That was a number too big for her imagination.

As she put down a hot steamy bowl of homemade ramen he was surprised. It smelled even better than Ichiraku's.  
"Dig in.", she grinned at him and handed him over a pair of chopsticks. She kept herself busy at the sink so he could eat in peace but wasn't alone. After he had eaten up she placed some of her famous chocolate cookies in front of him.  
"Isn't that normally unhealthy?", he asked her amused.  
"No. Mom says those are medicine for heart and soul." The caring tune in her voice touched him deeply.  
"Thanks.", he breathed. Suddenly he didn't feel that strong anymore. She made another pot of tea and brought it into the living room while he enjoyed the cookies, and damn were they good! Then Sakura came back, fetching her bowl of ramen and sat down to eat it.  
"It was great.", he complimented.  
"Thanks. Mom said it would be a shame if I wouldn't be able to cook myself a proper meal."  
"Wise woman your mother.", he smiled, one of his rare genuine smiles – one of those which really reached the eye. After she had finished eating both of them went into the living room and sat down on the sofa.

"So, you think I am an idiot.", he stated after a while and she rolled her eyes.  
"You're ripping it out of the context, senpai.", she groaned.  
"Save it.", he stated dryly.  
"What?", she asked surprised.  
"That 'senpai', I never liked that stuff anyways."  
"Ok... If you insist on that... well... back to the topic. You ripped that out of the context. I think you're an idiot if – and put the weight on 'if' here – you go on like that. I mean, my home is my shelter from anything and after missions I'm looking forward to come back. I love hosting my friends here... I can't understand how you can keep coming home to such a... thing."  
He remained silent. The words Sakura said still running through his mind, maybe he truly should change some things...  
"When you're healed you should do something about that... apartment-problem.", she mumbled.  
"I doubt that I can make this place cosy...", he mumbled, feeling somehow... relieved.  
"If you need help you know where to find me.", she grinned.

"If you tell me that one more time I'll take you up on that.", he chuckled silently.  
"Guess why I told you..." she snorted and plopped down on her armchair.  
"So you don't think that an old man can do that on his own?" he teased.  
"There you go again. Ok, _**gramps**_, how about playing something... like... shogi?", she asked and laughed as she saw his reaction.  
"If you want to lose so badly _**kiddo**_." He grinned.  
"I'll mop the floor with you, be sure." She laughed and took the game out of the lowest drawer in the cupboard.  
"Let's see how you try." He countered.  
It was quite funny and both of them enjoyed the game. Sakura had just one move left to win the game, but Kakashi closed his trap and she lost.  
"Not bad kiddo." He grinned.  
"What have you expected? An old man has more experience." She stuck out her tongue.  
"Another try?" he asked.  
"Why not?" she gave back.

They played quite long it was nearly midnight as they both became too tired to concentrate.  
"You should go to bed now." Sakura yawned. "I kept you awake too long already."  
"Maybe you're right." He yawned too and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Meanwhile Sakura put away the game, it had been quite a while since she had that much fun while playing shogi. As he walked back to her bedroom he saw her looking out of the living room window, and couldn't help but realise that she had nothing in common anymore with the young girl she had been a while ago, except the hair colour. He smiled, even though the cognition made him somehow sad, it meant that he really had become older. With an inaudible sigh he turned and went to bed, the clicking noise of the door made her turn. She felt a little change in the mood and went to look if anything was wrong.  
"Are you ok?" she asked silently as she looked into her sleeping room.  
"Yeah... why do you ask?" he asked back.  
"Dunno... just a feeling, I guess. Sleep well, if you need something, call."  
After brushing her teeth Sakura went into the living room again, switched off the light and plopped down on the couch. She took out her spare cover and lay down where he had been sitting the evening, and with his scent in the nose she fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Well, another chap done. I tried to bring in the right atmosphere, but I don't know if it turns out to be the way like I wished. Hope you like it. :) And like always: Please leave some reviews. ^-^

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The next morning wasn't really better. He had a strange dream that he couldn't forget about. Usually his dreams were gone around five minutes after waking up, but this one was still as present and clear as it had been before. He had been hanging around with Sakura at their favourite place; he lay under the tree and was reading, Sakura was settled next to him, her head resting on his chest while she looked up through the branches at the sky. A quite usual scene for the both of them, only when unseen from others, since Kakashi still wouldn't want to lose his reputation as the anti-social guy. And out of the blue he felt fear creeping up his spine. He couldn't explain why, Sakura seemed to be the very same than she ever was. The feeling grew stronger, now he could nearly grab it and as it had grown that strong that he had the feeling it would suffocate him Sasuke came out of the trees a few meters away.

Sakura froze, the happy and light chatting died away immediately. The cold onyx eyes were fixed on her, shortly wandering towards Kakashi, sending pure waves of hate and disgust, before they went to Sakura again. He felt a sting in his heart, he wanted to warn her, wanted to tell her that these eyes didn't hold a glimpse of emotion. He couldn't, his mouth was so dry that he was unable to bring out any sound. He felt as torn and horribly helpless as he did when Obito lay crushed under that stones. And then, Sakura was gone. Quickly he looked around and realised that the scene had changed. Now he was in a big white room, there were no windows and no doors, the light seemed to radiate out of the walls. And then he saw someone in the corner of the room and walked towards him. The person walked as well, but didn't come closer, like he walked on the spot. As he had been near enough he recognised that it was a mirror he was staring at, and the reflexion of him made him stand and look. His visible eye had the same dead and heartless expression than Sasuke's had just mere seconds before.

He gasped for air as the realisation crushed down on him. He turned away from the mirror, and while doing it the scene changed again and he was back in his apartment. It was like always but nonetheless different. It didn't feel like always, it felt dangerous. The very moment when he set foot in the corridor he had the alert feeling he usually has on missions when he infiltrated enemy buildings. It really didn't feel like home, he knew that Sakura was right; it felt like something was going to jump at you when you're not careful. He had planned to turn around, but he heard something, something like a sobbing and so he decided against his first impulse and went on. Slowly, and step by step, all his nerves shouting at him to turn around. As he reached the living room he felt like someone hit him. He saw himself, not as the grown man he was now, no, as the little kid he had been as his father had committed suicide. He sat on the sofa, crying. But he wasn't alone; Sakura was sitting next to him, an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close to herself to soothe him.

He felt a lump in his throat and as he saw Sakura started swaying back and forth, rocking his younger self he felt tears burning in his eyes. Suddenly the strange feeling of his apartment disappeared and he felt home. He had the feeling that his heart would simply explode and reacted on the urge to clap his hand over it like a bleeding wound. The very moment he did that Sakura looked up at him, focusing her wonderful green eyes on him, he could only see her eyes, the light they held and he woke with a start. It took him a while to calm himself and as he felt that he actually truly had been crying he felt weak, weaker than any time before. Sakura had been able with the conversation from yesterday to reach the part of his person he carefully had hidden all the years. She had been able to see it – see _**him**_ – in a way he never thought would be possible. The sting he felt as Sasuke had looked at her made him worry, he knew how jealousy felt, and it was wrong. He shouldn't feel that way; Sakura was so many years younger than him. He froze as he felt something cool touching his forehead.

He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't realised that Sakura had entered the room; he hadn't even noticed that she had sat down on the corner of the bed. Her eyes were focused on him, and he truly had to fight a blush. Damn it! What was going on with him?  
"You look troubled." She stated and focused his eye with her gaze.  
"It's nothing... a bad dream I guess." He mumbled back, feeling strangely caught.  
"You still have fever. Maybe I should change your medication."  
Her cool hand wandered from his forehead to his cheek, he couldn't help but close his eye. It felt so good. The touch was so light that you couldn't really be sure that it was there at all, her skin so soft and smooth...  
"I'll bring you something to drink." She said calmly and then left the room again.

He watched her leaving. Damn it, was she that stealthy already or was he that blind? He still was thinking about that fact as Sakura returned with a glass of water.  
"I was worrying about you." She said as she placed the glass on the nightstand. "You were tossing and turning while you were sleeping. Nightmares?"  
"No..."  
"You're a bad liar you know." She slightly smiled. "You know that I don't buy your flat excuses."  
"Caught me, haven't you?" he tried to joke.  
"What's up? Yesterday you've been... different."  
"Nothing to actually worry about."  
"Putting the weight on _**actually**_?" she asked.  
"Sort of, honestly."  
Sakura decided that she wouldn't push him, he had been so different yesterday, and he had talked about things he normally kept so close to himself... pushing her luck with him wasn't an option now.

She must have been looking quite curious, since he chuckled and then said:  
"I can't spill all my secrets, that would mean I risk getting boring."  
"As I actually said, I highly doubt that you could become boring. It's exactly the opposite; you're getting even more interesting. It's soothing to see that even you are human."  
"What are you trying to tell me?" Was it the fever in his head or why did he ask such stupid things?  
"Oh, come on! Just look at the reputation of yours, the respect people have... that's not really normal."  
"Oh yeah? Then I guess that you haven't heard what people say about you."  
"That I'm the same hot-tempered person like shisho." She snorted.  
"No, well... not alone... You're skilled, as a medic you're better than Tsunade already, and that's known over the borders... so don't start the reputation thing, 'because you already built up one as well."  
"But I have no secrets, or not that much like you. Until you spilled some of them yesterday you've been one big walking question mark."

He started laughing.  
"What's so funny?" Sakura asked irritated.  
"Just pictured that in my mind, sorry."  
"I guess your fever is driving you mad... that's near insanity."  
"I know that I'm crazy... that's no news to me." He grinned under his mask and Sakura rolled her eyes.  
"I'll bring you breakfast." She just said and left.  
He watched her leaving again, and it felt... wrong. He couldn't really explain, it was right when she was there, but when she turned around it felt horrible. He wouldn't have guessed that he was _that_ crazy already. He sighed, that was so wrong! He knew that he cared for her, it had always been important to him to see her happy, see her smile. He wanted to proof to himself that he was at least able to keep her life from the darkness. He had promised himself not to hurt her.

Sakura walked into the kitchen, feeling the strange tension radiating from him and wondered why. Her mind was so crowded with thoughts about him that she could scream because she was unable to put some sense to them. She tried to sort it out, but it was impossible. As soon as she looked at him she started analysing. It wasn't really the medic in her that forced her to do so. It was more like her thoughts about him and around him were like nails, lying on a pile and she was trying to sort them into the right places, but as soon as he made a sound or she looked at him it was like brining a magnet near to the nails. She had seen his face so often in her mind during the last hours that she lost track while counting them. Though it had shifted quite often it had always been his. She curtly chuckled about that thought, it seemed so... obsessed. Truly, for her and Naruto it had always been like a fever, if they winded the chance to reveal some of their former sensei's secrets.

First she thought that she would be able to understand him better after he had told her those things yesterday, but instead it confused her even more. Kakashi would remain a secret, not the book with seven seals as he had been, but a mystery nonetheless. But right now, she was wondering what was up with him now. He seemed stressed, she could sense the unease around him but he tried very hard to be as always. She returned to him with his breakfast, a light crease between her brows, still lost in her wonderings. He recognised immediately.  
"What's up, Sakura?" he asked silently.  
"Nothing big... I just wonder..." she trailed off. "... are you sure that you're ok?"  
"Yeah, I am. No need to worry, really." He said again, trying not to sound too eager. Sakura turned and went to the door to leave him privacy to eat his breakfast without her bothering him.  
"I'm just worried, that's all." She said, flashing him a short smile. She caught his mumbled reply before the door closed completely. Surely he hadn't wanted for her to hear.  
"You shouldn't... eventually I'll hurt you... again."

Now she was completely confused. When ever before he had hurt her? She plopped down on the couch again and stared at the collage above it. So many faces, but only a few of them were glowing out of the blur of the others around. First there was Ino, her best friend, second was Naruto, her brother-like friend and third there was Kakashi. Remembering back at the years that have passed he was a constant part, like she always told Ino when she was bugging her with that topic. The two of them had discussed that quite often, picking the missions to pieces to analyze every detail. And always it had been Kakashi or Naruto who tried to save her, she knew that already. But when has it started that she bothered herself with worries about him? Two years ago? Or was it already three years ago? She couldn't decide. She felt a trust towards him she never felt to anyone else before, not even to Ino. She would never tell her friend, not even under torture, but that simply was the truth.

Kakashi had proven so safe, so trustworthy that she felt ashamed of using him, needing him so much. He had too much problems he carried around with himself, she feared that she had already put too much extra weight onto him that he could break. After all, he simply was a human too, right? She sighed and closed her eyes. She couldn't hurt him; she couldn't bear it, that was a fact. So why the heck would he think that he would hurt her?  
"I'm finished. No medics today?" his soft voice surprised her and she quickly sat up, opening her eyes. He stood in the corridor, smiling at her. This time the smile really reached his visible eye, but she had the strange feeling that there was a hint of sadness in them. Automatically she returned his smile, acting on impulse and her heart ached. She couldn't stand it anymore to see him sad, not after what she had seen in his apartment and what he had told her. Why was he that complicated?

"Sorry." She replied. "I forgot." A sheepish grin rushed over her face and she stood up, walking over to the shelf and taking a little box out.  
"Here, I'm sorry. I really should pay more attention..." she handed him the pills and brushed past him, wanting to take the dishes to the kitchen, but they were gone. For a second she stood there, frozen.  
"I put them into the sink."  
"Why haven't you told me that you were finished? I would've..."  
"You looked a little troubled and I decided that I didn't want to bother you." He explained.  
"You can always bother me." She stated and looked at him. "And now go back to bed, I bet you still have fever."  
"I'm feeling fine, really."  
"Kakashi... I have my orders." She sighed. "Please don't make it hard for me."  
"But laying in bed all the day sucks." He complained, sounding more like Naruto.  
"You know what? For that complaining I'm removing four of your years! That's so childish!" she argued.  
"Oh yeah? Well then, I could add at least four years to your age for acting the way you do right now and another two for acting like I'm still a kid." He argued back

"Fine! Then you're just two years older! So do as I said and go to bed, unless you don't want me to remove three years more for being a drag."  
He looked stunned and then laughed. So did Sakura.  
"If you insist..." he started.  
"Yeah, I insist on that. Go before I force you." She shot back, trying to sound angry but failed miserably.  
"You know that sounds strange... forcing me to go to bed..." he started and grinned, winking at her.  
Now it was her part to look stunned.  
"You... you're such a perv, you know." She replied, chuckling lightly. "Why do you always have to be like that?"

"Because it's fun." He simply replied.  
"You're sometimes really weird Kakashi." She stated, walking behind him to make sure that he lay down again.  
"Could you at least be company?" he asked, grinning again.  
"On a chair." She stated and snickered as he shortly looked... unfocused.  
"Is there nothing we can do?" he asked slightly bored.  
"Playing cards?" she suggested.  
"Nothing else?" he grinned again.  
"No, nothing else, that would exhaust you too much."


	9. Chapter 9

Finally another chap. Sorry that I kept you waiting, but I had a hell to do at work. I hope you like it, I'm not that satisfied with it. And as always: Please leave reviews. ^-^

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A short moment he looked stunned, then he grinned and chuckled.  
"That was a statement I didn't expect."  
"If you think you're the only one to make ambiguous statements in here, then you're definitely wrong. As I said, I'm no kid anymore." She winked grinning. If he'd be honest he would have to admit that this statement caused a little blush on his cheeks. He bit on his lower lip, suppressing a counter statement that would've caused her to blush in return. Sakura handed him a few cards and they started playing crazy eights. They had that much fun that they didn't realize how fast the time went by, not until they heard their stomachs rumbling.  
"Holy shit! I've forgotten the time!" she nearly jumped to her feet. "You need your medics and something to eat…"  
She rushed out of the room in a hurry, leaving him stunned behind.

Sakura stood in the kitchen, chopping some vegetables for soup and hummed to herself. It was so easy to forget time around him, too easy. She blushed and smiled lightly to herself. It was ways too easy, but was it that bad? She thought about it for a while and decided: no. It wasn't bad at all. He needed someone to spent time with him and care for him. It felt… different than she'd thought it should, but nonetheless, she felt comfortable. While the vegetables were cooking she looked out of the window and waited. She heard footsteps in the corridor and counted them soundless, until they stopped.  
"You're still supposed to stay in bed." She said and turned to face him.  
"You know that I won't." he stated, with a little smile in his voice.  
"Ok, then sit down and don't put up a fight."  
"I never would!" he stated, playfully offended.  
"Suuure… how could I think something like that?" she laughed lightly, returning back to the hearth.

"Now that was a little bit sarcastic, Sakura." He mumbled.  
"I know, I intended it to be. You're shocking me the whole time, you're behaving so… reasonable. That's not typically you, if I may say that."  
"You already have…" he chuckled. "Well… I decided if I play nice and don't be a pain in the ass you won't kick me."  
"I've never kicked you! I'd never…" she started and then fell silent. She filled his bowl with the soup, placing it in front of him and then she went into the living room to fetch the pills for him.  
"What were you going to tell me?" he asked her as she returned to place the pills next to his water glass.  
"What?" she asked surprised.  
"What you were going to tell me, before you trailed off. You'd never… ?"  
"I mean… I…" she stuttered. "I'd… I'd never hurt you."

He paused and then looked at her. She looked out of the window again, without any movements. He smiled – short and a little sad – then he exhaled slowly.  
"I know." He mumbled silently. "I know."  
She turned to look at him, shortly smiled and ruffled through his hair playfully.  
"Eat, old man, I can't risk you falling to pieces…" she winked and left him again. She heard him snicker as she plopped down on the couch in the living room. Somehow Ino had been right, she was really comfortable with him around. But wasn't it wrong to feel so… right with him? He had been her sensei, and he's twelve years older than her. But was age really the matter? She sighed and clapped her hands over her face, she knew that she was blushing madly right now and hoped that he was still in the kitchen.

Well, she cared for him, that wasn't a secret. She already knew that and so did he, but how far does that go? That's something she clearly had to figure out, and she knew she had to do it alone, without Ino's help. She recognized that the slurping noise from the kitchen had stopped and decided to get some food for herself. He sat quite still in his chair, looking at her curiously. What was going on with her? She seemed so completely different. She sat down on her usual place and started eating. He continued to watch her, his thoughts running, chewing through his dream over and over again.  
"Kakashi?" she asked, snapping her fingers in front of his nose.  
"Huh? What?" he asked confused.  
"I've asked you two times already."  
"Sorry, I was lost in thoughts."  
"I know that." She grinned. "I asked you whether I have something funny in my face because you look so… focused on something there."  
"Uh… no. Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts."  
"I guess I knew that as well." She chuckled and put the bowls into the sink to wash them.

"I'll dry up." He said and took a towel.  
"Kakashi… you're supposed to rest."  
"I _do_ rest. You can't expect me to lie around all the day. I'm already feeling useless enough, so please don't make it worse for me. The old man can't stand it to watch a young girl working her ass off for him."  
"You have quite a strange way of expressing thoughts you know." She stated and handed him a dripping bowl.  
"Well, I'm _used_ to strange."  
"I think you've _invented_ strange." She snickered and earned a little nudge.  
"Now, don't tell me that I'm _that_ wrong." She grinned at him and stuck out her tongue.  
"No, that would be lied… that's the problem." He replied dryly, causing her to laugh out loud.  
"You know, you don't sound like an adult right now."  
"I know, I'm really, really _strange_…" he snickered.

"So… I guess I've stressed you too much for today. You should better lie down again. Either couch or bed."  
He grinned widely and asked as innocent as he could: "Alone?"  
She blushed deeply and looked for an answer but couldn't find one and gaped at him. With a big grin he turned and went into the living room. But before he could leave the kitchen Sakura threw the towel after him, hitting him with a light 'thud' at the back of his neck. He laughed out loud and plopped down on the couch again, waiting for Sakura to join him. He looked at the bookshelf and stood up, took out a book that sounded decent and plopped down again. Sakura did follow, a little later when she calmed herself enough so she won't kill him. She glared at him and eyed him suspiciously as she sat down on her armchair.

"What?" he asked after a while, amusement clearly audible in his voice.  
"You have to ask?" she bit back.  
"Yes, it was a completely innocent question."  
"Maybe the question, but I doubt that your intentions behind that question were." She had a slightly sour look on her face.  
"Sakura! I'm appalled! What are you imputing to me?" Sakura started laughing at his tune.  
"You know that pretty well, perv." She grinned widely and slumped down comfortably in her armchair.  
"You can be so mean, you know." He tried to grumble but failed miserably.  
"That's a compliment I can give straightly back."  
"Ok, let's call it even." He held up his hand in surrender.

Sakura chuckled but continued to eye him while he pretended to read. The book wasn't really something big, Sakura chuckled as she read the title, she was pretty sure he would put it aside pretty soon.  
"What's so funny?" he asked after a while.  
"Well… I don't think that you actually are going to like the book… it's so not-hentai…"  
"You think I only read smutty books?"  
"Well, I only saw you reading those books…"  
"Ah… I see. So you haven't looked closer at my bookshelf, did you?"  
"Nope, I was sort of… distracted."  
Her voice was suddenly sober again. He exhaled slowly so he wouldn't sigh and shortly hummed, his eyes adjusting at the lines in front of his nose.

"Ne… Kakashi…" Sakura started after a while.  
"Nani?" he asked surprised.  
"Um… well… I mean… it's none of my business… but… are you going to change something about that?"  
"What?"  
"Your apartment."  
"Oh… hmm… honestly… I don't really know how to change that. I highly doubt that I know how I can do that."  
Sakura gaped and looked unbelievingly at him, but from the way he said it he meant it. Then – without any sign of warning – she started laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asked slightly annoyed.  
"S-sorry… I… I just thought… forget it… I can't believe you can't… oh man…" she giggled.  
"I guess that has been the last time I've been honest." He grumbled.  
"Hey, sorry… It wasn't meant to be mean. It's just… you know that much and now that."  
"That's nothing like fighting-skills…" he tried to defend himself, but he snickered.  
"Well, you just have to ask. I'd help you." She offered.  
"I'll take you up on that." He chuckled.  
"I wouldn't have offered my help if I didn't mean it."  
"Ok, when do we start?"  
"Try again later, Kakashi. Not until you're fit enough to leave." She grinned.  
"I was afraid you'd say that." He sighed theatrically.  
Both laughed and the afternoon passed in companionable silence.


	10. Chapter 10

First of all: I am so sorry! I really feel bad for keeping you waiting so long, but I really wasn't in any mood to write. There was sooo much going on here during the last weeks, so many things to do…

I have loads to do at work, my dwarf hamster died, my new dwarf hamster got babies, my long time boyfriend popped the question… I know those are only bad excuses, but still I hope you forgive me.

I hope that this chapter can make up a little of your waiting-time. Please enjoy and leave some reviews.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei.

* * *

Yesterday had been the last day she had given him chakra-blockers; she was curious how it would affect him today. It had been a short night for her; sleep was avoiding her like never before. She had checked up on him three times that night and he was sleeping peacefully.  
Sakura sighed frustrated and plopped down on the couch. A long while she stared at the collage over her sofa, let her eyes wander over the many different pictures until they stopped at Kakashi's picture. He was smiling, that's what one could see at his face, but the smile didn't reach his eye. It seemed so empty, so dead. But the last days he had smiled different, genuine, it truly had lightened up his eye. But why was that mattering to her that much? Why did it make her so... happy? Was it because he had been there for her that much and she wanted to pay it back?

Well, she wanted to give it back. Just to see him smile, hear him snicker... made her feel sort of happy. Sighing she closed her eyes. During the last days she started to like him more than before, which caused her some headache, because somehow that 'liking' tasted different than a few days ago. When she saw that he was happy it warmed her heart like nothing before. It was... sort of irritating. She sat up again and rubbed her temples before she stood up and went over to her living room window and looked out into the night. Sakura leant her forehead against the window and stared at her favourite orchid. During the last days she had seen a side of him she never imagined he had. She already had known that he was different when he was at home, but she definitely hadn't expected him to be so easy to handle, since he's always acting up when he's in hospital.

She tried to get some space between her feelings and her thoughts – both were pretty upside down – to analyze them as clinical as possible. And the more she thought about it, the clearer she saw. She sighed and bumped her head lightly against the glass. She knew how it felt to have a crush, but she never felt love that way... and never thought that it could sneak up on her like that.  
"I am so stupid..." she rubbed her forehead and sighed. Why him? No... She knew him too well now, that's not the big surprise... why now? Maybe that was a better question. Should she question that at all? Hell... right now he was her patient! Damn it! She shouldn't do that! She should know better... right? Sakura sighed again, she already had lost count how often she had done so during the last hour. He was twelve years her senior, her former sensei... well... actually now they were equals... and age... was it really such a big deal? But she couldn't tell him. Never. The first one she told her feelings turned her back to her and left, and that damned Uchiha-bastard hadn't done Jack for her. Unlike Kakashi. Losing him in such a way would kill her.

"Emergency-goodies." She mumbled to herself and went into the kitchen to fetch herself some ice-cream. Armed with a spoon and the frozen calorie-bomb she went back into the living room and plopped down on the couch. She ate and thought about all the stuff again and again until the box was empty, her brain frozen and her stomach ached. At least that distracted her enough to stop worrying and she finally fell asleep. And right that way Kakashi found her the next morning when he woke up.

Yawning he sat up and rubbed his eyes. His whole body was prickling; slowly his chakra-system was working again. He could truly feel the flow. He stood up and was stunned that it was so easy now. Kakashi chuckled to himself and stretched, flexed and then yawned again. He hadn't felt that good in months. He decided that now would be the perfect time to shower and shave and he went into the bathroom, without looking anywhere else and whistled inwardly to himself.  
Freshly dressed and still with wet hair he went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, since he was nearly fully recovered and Sakura had cared for him so well. When he was finished he went into the living room to wake her, but stopped in the doorway. She was still sleeping, a little worry-crease on her forehead, the empty ice-cream box on the table, spoon still in her hand. He blinked. He knew women well enough – especially Sakura now – to know that something big was going on. But knowing Sakura... she would tell him anyway. If he would know...

Sakura woke with a start as she felt a chakra signature next to herself, the spoon held like a kunai in her hand. She nearly fell from the couch and caught herself in the last moment. She blinked several times before she truly realized where she was. Kakashi snickered and her eyes focused on him.  
"What's so funny?" she asked him confused.  
"Well... you're crouching on the couch and you're aimed with a spoon..."  
"Oh..." she made and looked at the spoon in her hand and then tossed it on the couch table like it's poisonous. Then she slapped her hands on her head, hastily combing through with her fingers.  
"Oh!" she made again and then jumped off from the couch and dashed past Kakashi into the bathroom. Five minutes later she came back out, teeth brushed, hair combed and cat-washed her face. He still was standing in the doorway, leaning against the door frame.  
"That was quite near a panic attack." He chuckled.  
"No, that _was_ a panic attack." She said.  
"I've seen worse." He stated dryly. "By the way: I made breakfast for us."

"Really?" she asked and turned into the kitchen. "Wow... thanks!"  
She grinned and sat down. He chuckled and slightly shook his head while following her into the kitchen.  
"Well... you may have seen worse, but nothing funnier." She said as she took her teacup.  
"Hmm... I wouldn't say it that way, but I'd say it made it up into the top ten."  
Sakura rolled her eyes and took a sip. Her stomach grumbled and reminded her at her ice-cream-abuse last night.  
"What was up that you needed one box ice cream?" he asked straight out. She nearly choked on her tea and coughed several times before she said anything.  
"Uh... I had some things to sort out."  
"And?"  
"Done." She grinned at him. "Ok... I'll have to do a little work-out after that ice-cream-attack..."  
"That was not what I intended to ask..." he stated dryly and eyed her curiously.  
"Well, if it sooths you, the problem is identified and I'm working on a solution."  
"Ah... that's all?"  
"Yeah... sort of." She stared at her breakfast, poking it with her chopsticks and refusing to look up.

A while he continued looking at her and then he heaved a sigh and leant back in his seat. It seemed he wouldn't get more out of her right now. Slowly she started eating and shortly smiled between two bites.  
Now it was his turn to ask: "What's so funny?"  
"That actually remembers me the first breakfast Naruto made on our second longer-away-from-home-mission."  
"And you're intending to say...?"  
"Well... that your skills could need a little improvement." She snickered and stuck out her tongue playfully.  
"There has to be at least one thing I suck at." He said and snickered.  
"Sort of right..." she mumbled and finished her breakfast.  
"Nonetheless... thank you, that was really very nice."  
She smiled at him and then stood up to leave him his peace to eat.  
He watched her leaving the kitchen and couldn't help but wonder what was going on with her.

The next two days were nearly the same and then came the big bad day, the day he was allowed to go and go back to his own apartment. As he left Sakura's house and looked up to the windows of his own apartment it seemed like they were staring down at him like a preditor looking for his prey. He sighed inwardly and crossed the street, slowly walking up the stairs to his floor. He could feel the emptiness, the silence and the bad memories creeping up his spine. The moment he unlocked his door it felt like being trapped in a big cobweb. He sighed and plopped down on his couch, opening the window with his right hand to let in at least a little sunlight to warm the place. How he would love to simply go back to Sakura's apartment...

Sakura started a big cleaning action after Kakashi had left; she needed to do something to busy herself. Well, cleaning keeps your hands busy, but not your brain. The last room she went to clean was her sleeping room. She looked under her bed and found two dust bunnies, not more. She was musing about whether she should change the bedding or not, but the moment she sat down on the bed she decided not to change them. Just when she was about to lie down and rest a little it knocked at the door. She raced to answer the door and nearly was disappointed when she opened it and Ino was standing in front of her.  
"Oh... hi Ino... what's up?" she asked, trying not to sound the way she felt.  
"Tsunade send me here, she wants to talk to you. Seems like you have a mission honey." Ino grinned and winked at her friend.  
"Truly? You're not kidding?" The chance on getting a true mission outside the village did a lot to Sakura's mood.  
"Yeah, so it seems. And when you're back home you have to explain me why you were so down when you saw me here... even if I might have an idea..."  
"Pig... don't cross the line..." Sakura grumbled.  
"I won't. At least not today. Now get your bony ass moving, you know how that old lady freaks out if you keep her waiting."  
"Oh... right." She quickly put on her shoes and closed the door of her apartment behind herself.  
"How's your patient doing?" Ino asked innocently.  
"Pretty well I guess. He left."  
"Oh... I see."  
"Ino... cut it out!"

The blonde snickered but didn't say anything further; she didn't want to end beaten up in a side street.


	11. Chapter 11

First of all: I am sooooo sorry. Really. I know I kept you all waiting for… like ever. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Work is so busy at the moment and I really had no brains for writing.  
Second: I've deleted the mission-chapters. They're supposed to take place later, with slight changes.

Oh well, where should I start? I thank you all for the patience with me and hope that you like the following chapters. My going-to-be husband and I had quite a funny time while painting the two rooms up in the attic I figured that Sakura and Kakashi can have some fun too, and since Kakashi's apartment could really need a new paint... I guess you know what I mean. ;)

Mainly I want the change-his-apartment-chapters to take place before the mission, because I want both of them to develop their feelings. But I don't want to spill too much.

Like always: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei, have fun with reading and forgive me my English. If there are too many mistakes, please let me know. Thanks. ^_^

* * *

Sakura headed to the Hokage tower immediately. If it truly was as urgent as Ino made it sound she didn't want her mentor to have to wait for her. As she stood in front of the office door she braced herself and knocked.  
"Ino said you wanted to see me?" she asked Tsunade, who halfway hid herself and her sake bottle behind a huge mass of papers.  
"Oh, you're already here." The Godaime said and smiled at her. "I wanted to ask you something."  
The pink haired Kunoichi had to fight pretty hard to hide her disappointment. She really had expected a mission.  
"And that would be?" she asked as normal as she could manage.  
"I wanted to know whether you have already decided if you want to take a Genin-team or not." Sakura nearly gaped at her. That was the reason for ordering her into her office?  
"No."  
"What no?"  
"I haven't thought about it yet."  
Tsunade cocked a brow and looked at her measuring.  
"I don't want to push you, Sakura, but I need an answer at latest in two weeks. I need to form the squads."  
"Hai. Is that all you wanted?"  
"Yes. You're dismissed."

The pink haired Kunoichi turned round and left the office, closing the door with more force than needed. That blonde had nerves! Since one and a half years she hadn't left the village on a mission and now she's so on the fly with that Genin-Teams.  
Frustrated she went home and threw her door shut behind herself, which commented that action with a loud 'bang'. She fought hard to keep her countenance and grit her teeth so hard it hurt.  
"That... old... witch..." she growled into her empty living room. "What does she think she's doing?"  
She flung herself onto the couch, pressed her face into a cushion and screamed her anger into it. As she had no air to scream anymore in her lungs, she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling while she recovered from her scream-attack. That woman truly had nerves. Was she kidding her? Or testing? Then a thought hit her like a lightning bolt and she nearly jumped off the couch. She quickly grabbed her purse and headed towards Ichiraku.

Twenty minutes later she stood in front of Kakashi's door and knocked. It didn't take him long to open the door, and the amused glint in his eye showed her that he already had heard her.  
"Yo." He greeted and motioned her to come in.  
"I brought lunch..." she said apologetically.  
"I see..." he chuckled. "Seems like it becomes a habit."  
"Sort of." She snickered and followed him into his living room.  
"What gives me the honour of your visit? Already miss me?" he joked and Sakura had to bite her tongue from admitting that he had a point.  
"Well... um... I sort of... need your advice." She blushed a little and looked at her feet. Kakashi was glad that he wore a mask to hide his affectionate smile. He sat down next to her on the couch and looked at her, mild curiosity in his eye.  
"For what?"  
"Mah... Tsunade-shisho bugged me if I'd take a Genin-Team or not... and well... I'm not sure if I should or not."

"Are you serious?" he asked after a short while of silence.  
"Of course! Why do you ask?"  
Good question... he had to admit.  
"Because that's truly your decision." He said and lifted his hand to gesture her that he hadn't finished his statement, but was looking for words.  
"Well... see Sakura. Being tutor of a Genin-Team is sometimes really hard, they're jumping on your nerves, ignore your advices and sometimes you have to step in to stop them from killing each other."  
A short grin rushed over her face.  
"But to see how they grow, how they learn and how skilled they get, mission after mission... that's fun to see. I don't dare to tell you if you should take a team or not, that's clearly your decision. It's not always easy, but not always hard either."

She nodded slowly and opened the box with her ramen. As she broke the chopsticks apart and was about to dive them into the steaming miso-ramen she looked at him.  
"Do _you_take a new team? I mean... Naruto is going to take one... that means that our team is sort of... disbanded."  
He was so glad that he had so quick reflexes and managed to keep his ramen instead of dropping it.  
"What?" he asked.  
"Ah... never mind." She said and felt stupid.  
"I haven't thought about it, honestly." He answered her question while she ate. He looked out of the window.  
"I'm not the youngest anymore... and it takes some nerves..."  
She quickly finished her ramen and sat the empty bowl aside before she looked at him.  
"Don't do that." She said and stood up.  
"What?"  
"Blame yourself for what happened. I stooped that five years ago. It would be good for you if you'd do the same."  
She went into the kitchen to give him enough privacy to eat in peace.

A short moment later she felt his presence behind herself and turned to look at him. He saw the mixed feelings in her eyes and didn't know what to tell her.  
"But if you came here to ask me if I think that you're able to lead a Genin-Squad I'd say you definitely are."  
She smiled at him. "Thanks a lot Kakashi."  
He coughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Mah... was that all you wanted to know?"  
"Wanted to ask." She corrected. "But since I'm here... what about your... apartment problem?"  
First he looked at her and then he started laughing.  
"So you really meant it?"  
"Of course I did. If you'd ask me... we have loads of work to do."  
She looked around.  
"Well, the furniture you could keep, but give it a different colour... same for the walls, it's too grey, too depressing. A bright yellow tone would be good for your corridor; it would make it more welcoming. Same for the kitchen and the living room. Light blue and green colours are good for the sleeping room, they're soothing and calming. Shall I note it somewhere?"

Kakashi immediately knew that she was trying to cover up something, but knowing her it was better not to ask her now.  
"Why don't we just go and buy them? I'm not stupid to ignore the advice of the best medic I know." He said and hoped that his voice sounded earnest. Sakura grinned and patted his shoulder playfully.  
"You better do so. If you keep this colour-scheme you'll need a shrink pretty soon."  
"Wha..? Hey! I never need a shrink!" he protested, faking to be in a snit.  
Sakura shook with silent laughter, tears already running down her cheeks. Visiting him was the best thing she could have done.  
"Yosh..." she managed to say. "Then let's go. I don't know how long shisho allows me to stay home. And no matter how skilled you are with kunai... I don't know anything about your paint-brush-skills."

"Maybe I'm as skilled with them as Naruto is with stealth and silence. What would you say then?"  
"I'd declare you as a hopeless-case and laugh my ass off. Probably." She grinned at him and put on her shoes.  
"I'd say I'd guessed so." He snickered and closed the door. He truly was glad that she'd come over, he liked the distraction she brought with her.  
"So, where do we need to go?"  
"There's a good little shop next to the store of Ten-Ten's father."  
"Really? I've never noticed." He said as they stepped onto the street.  
"That's because you only see what you want to see." She snickered and they entered a side street. The rest of the way they walked in silence, both simply being glad that the other one was around.

As they entered the shop Kakashi looked around curiously. He truly never had been in a store like that, since he had done nothing in his apartment ever before. There were still the same paperhangings on the wall as there had been when he moved in. Here he saw a whole rack with different paperhangings and even more different colours, paint brushes, painter rolls and stuff.  
"Konnichiwa. How can I help you?" the man behind the counter greeted them.  
"I... He needs colours." Sakura said and smiled as Kakashi looked a little taken by surprise.  
"And which colours you have in mind?" the salesman asked.  
"Ask her." Kakashi just said gestured towards the pink haired woman.  
"I'd say one pail light green, one sunny yellow, one crimson... but that should be a small one, two pearl white and five rolls crepe tape."  
"Do you want to take them with you or shall we deliver it?"  
"Deliver it, you already have my address in your register."  
"Yosh... is that all or do you need more?"  
"More." She said and tipped her lower lip with her index finger, while she was thinking. "Protective sheet... and two cans of finish, teak-colour. And that would be all then."  
"Arigato." He said and typed all the stuff into his cash register. "We deliver it in one hour, right now my employee is on an errand."  
"Ok, thanks." Sakura said and Kakashi paid up.

As they were on the way back to his apartment he asked her:  
"And that's all you need to get the melancholy out of my oh-so-worn-down apartment?"  
"You shouldn't make fun of it Kakashi... just wait and marvel at its new glory." She said theatrical which caused him to snicker.  
"That makes two, I guess." He mumbled.  
"Nani?"  
"Never mind." He said and winked at her. "Just wait and marvel, right?"  
"You know, it so sucks to have your own words turned against you." She said and rolled her eyes.  
He just chuckled and unlocked his apartment door.  
"So, what are we doing now?"  
"Masking the doorframes, window frames, the power outlets and light switches." She said while handing him one tape-roll. "And I'm going to fetch the equipment we need." She turned around again and went home, looking through her stuff at the attic.

Twenty minutes later she returned with a two cans of beech-finish and some paint brushes and painter rolls. She even had changed her clothes into one old t-shirt and a pair of old jogging pants, both of them were obviously already worn while painting. She had her hair tied back and grinned at him as he opened the door, taking half of the equipment of her.  
"Where do you want to start?" he asked her.  
"In your kitchen. If they deliver on time like the last time we'll be able to finish that room completely today."  
He was glad that she offered to help him change his apartment, but he felt unsure about what to do. He had proven that he had two left thumbs when it came to things like that. He tried three times to set up an easy bookshelf, but failed miserably. Asuma had been the one who sat it up, and he only needed ten minutes. After that he never tried anything like that again, which got back at him right now.

Sakura somehow smelled that he was unsure what to do. She never thought that he would be like that, but to her it seemed that his apartment was just a place where he put himself away between missions. It had to be practical and useful and that was all.  
"You could pack your books away. I'm planning to varnish your bookshelves."  
He just nodded and turned round. Sakura giggled silently and started to stick the tape on the wall. She planned to paint the lower third crimson and the rest pearl white. Then she started to varnish his kitchen cabinets. Once they had been white, but over the years they turned into a dirty grey. Beech was a warm tone, and this apartment needed 'warm' really badly. She loved work like that and after a short while she was whistling a merry tune.

As Kakashi heard her whistling he stopped packing his books and just sat there listening to her. He knew the melody she whistled, she always did that when she was happy. She started that habit five years ago, and it was the best mood-indicator one could have. Half an hour later he heard the employee who brought the delivery and Kakashi went to fetch it. As he put the last pail down in his living room he went into the kitchen and was astonished. Sakura already had varnished his cabinets.  
She had heard him stopping and turned around to look at him. His expression – or at least what she could see of it – made her doubtful.  
"Do you like it?" she asked warily.  
"Like?" he repeated the question. "It looks damn new... I hadn't expected that this old stuff can be transformed like that."  
A wave of relief washed over her. "I was afraid that it's not what you'd like."  
"I trust your hand on that." He said and smiled at her.  
"Good. Uh... Kakashi... are you going to move something of the furniture in here within the next years?"  
"I don't think so, but why do you ask?"  
"Well... if you'd do so... than we have to put all the cabinets down so I can paint the walls, otherwise I would let them where they are and paint around them. Sort of the 'lazy-method'." She grinned sheepishly and he laughed.  
"Paint around them."  
"As you order, _sensei_." She joked and caught a sour look for it. "Sorry, couldn't resist." She snickered and brushed past him to fetch the crimson colour to get started.  
"You'll get that back, you know." He said, amusement audible in his voice.  
"Let's say that it was my aim." She grinned and looked for the right painters roll.


	12. Chapter 12

I bet you're already fed up with my excuses for updating so late. Honestly, they have sort of a lame taste to me as well. Anyways, I hope this chapter can make up a little for keeping you waiting so long. The next one is going to be longer, I promise. Now please enjoy and leave some reviews, pretty please. ^_^

* * *

For the moment she was just glad to still have him around somehow, even though she didn't know how things will go on in the future. At the moment her mind was wandering, walking through her past. Sometimes she snorted about her own stupidity, how much of a burden she had been for her team. Most of all Kakashi. He had been so much for her, a mentor, a teacher, a friend. A sad smile rushed over her face and gilt stung her in the heart. If she just had known...  
Then she switched to another subject: Genin-team. She was so excited as Ino had shown up and then shisho just wanted an answer. An answer on such a stupid question! She frowned irritated and walked into the bathroom to wash out the painters roll. Back in the kitchen she nearly ripped the lid off of the new pail. She knew she was working herself up into that thing, but at the moment she just wanted to stomp into Tsunade's office and... well... and what?

She heaved a sigh, and what? Why was she so pissed about that all? Damn it! She always wanted to show everyone around her that she was grown up now, old enough to take responsibilities. But now when she finally got the chance to do so, she was chickening out. Why? It all had to do with Kakashi, of that she was sure, but how? Was it really simply the fact that she feared it could make him feel old if she accepts a Genin-team, just like Ino said? Lost in thoughts she chewed on her lower lip. That was just too... troublesome. She snorted, Shikamaru's most favourite statement, and it fitted like nothing else.  
Kakashi had returned on packing his books and was finished half an hour later. He used the time to think, his mind jumping between the past that still hurt him in his heart and the time now. What the hell was going on? He sighed inwardly and clenched his fist. All the past years he had been a grown man, according to Genma 'a cold hearted bastard' and now he felt like a lovesick teenager. Well, not really lovesick... he just felt somehow upside down. After all Sakura was still younger and even though Tsunade no longer could teach her anything she still felt responsible for the pink haired kunoichi. Piss off the Godaime wasn't an option either, since Sakura would be the one to suffer.

He looked into the kitchen and had to resist the urge to whistle in approval, he didn't want to spook her. She nearly was finished with the walls, and he nearly didn't recognise his old kitchen. After a short look at the clock he figured that it would be about to look for something to eat to dinner. He leaped out of the window and headed towards his favourite sushi-bar.  
Sakura didn't even realise that he had left; she was so lost in her thoughts and her work. The kitchen was finished just a short while later and she went over into the living room. She started with the bookshelves before she started with the walls. She just had one wall done as she heard rustling noise out of the kitchen and went to look what it was.  
"Yo." He grinned at her, placing the two boxes he had just bought on the table.  
"I haven't even noticed that you had left..." she said and blinked in confusion. He snickered.  
"I didn't want to disturb you. You seemed so... absorbed. But I figured it would be good to have something for dinner, since my fridge is sort of empty." He rubbed the back of his head and Sakura smiled warmly at him. That was one of the most familiar actions of him.  
"No wonder, since I had held you hostage the last days." She winked at him and sat down, some spots of white colour in her face. He chuckled and sat down, mostly to look at her.

She hadn't realised how hungry she was and now dug into her sushi.  
"That's delicious." She said between two pieces.  
"Good to hear you like it." He said and smiled at her, she could nearly see it through his mask. She smiled back and finished her meal, eyeing him lost in her thoughts again. Who was he? Truly? Without the mask, without the charade he put up? The true and pure Hatake Kakashi? She caught herself staring at him and quickly munched down the last bits of her sushi so he could eat as well.  
"You know, sometimes I truly would pay heavens and hell to know what you're thinking." He said as she went past him to throw the empty box in the garbage. She stopped and slightly turned her head.  
"I'm pretty sure you would just hear things you don't want to."  
'If you'd only know...' he thought and heard a nearly non-audible sigh from her. "If you're looking for me, I'm fighting with your living room walls." She said and then left the kitchen and him alone.  
Why did she always give him something to chew on mentally? When was it that it had changed so far that he was unable to read her like an open book? About one hour later she was finished with the walls as well.

"I guess we should call it a day." She said after she had washed out the painters roll. "Tomorrow we will be done with your whole apartment."  
"I guess I owe you." He said and smiled.  
"Mah... forget it! See it as... well... as a friendly turn, ok? You don't owe me anything. I'll be here at nine tomorrow, is that ok for you?"  
"Nine, ok, no problem."  
"Good night Kakashi, see you tomorrow." She grinned at him and then left.  
He didn't know how long he stood there, looking at the closed door.  
'If you'd only know how much I owe you... really owe you.' He thought.  
He lay down on his bed, his mind circling around the conversation he had with her about his past some days ago. It didn't feel bad to let her in on his past, but knowing her, knowing what a loving and caring soul she was he shouldn't tell her anything anymore. She felt with her friends, shared their suffering, he knew that too well. The time after Asuma had died had been hell for him, not only that he had lost one of the few he dared to call something similar than 'friend'. Ino had been at Sakura's quite often, the first two weeks she refused to go home, and she had been crying a lot. Even though Sakura had nearly nothing to do with Asuma she cried with her friend, felt her grief as if it was her own. No, he can't do that to her, he can't allow her to suffer under his wrong decisions like he does. He sighed and lay one arm over his eyes, this was going to be a long night again.

Sakura showered and scrubbed the itching spots colour off her face. She refused to allow her thoughts to wander back to the circles they had been walking the whole day. After drying her hair with the towel she leant against the doorframe and looked into her sleeping room. Still a bit childish, still empty. She sighed. Ino was right when she always bugged her to lift her ass off the couch and hook up with someone. But no one was appealing to her, well... there was one... but she didn't fully know if it simply was the fascination he had since her young Genin-days. Sighing she switched off the lights and crawled into her bed, smiling as she inhaled his scent, which still was lingering dominantly on her pillow. She had to figure that out, maybe that would help her with the decision of the Genin-team as well.

The next morning he opened the door before she could even knock. He didn't look quite well, but she bit back the question she was about to ask. Gladly, he sensed that already or simply knew that she would ask.  
"I didn't sleep quite well, you might have guessed that."  
"Anything you want to talk about?" she asked carefully.  
"Not at the moment. Maybe... another time."  
She nodded, that was actually more then she would've expected. She smiled lightly, mostly to herself. He was switching quite often the last days, between his usually buttoned-down manner and the little bit more talk-active side. As she entered the living room she was surprised to see that he had already put the books back into the shelves and moved them back to their old places. Only the pictures were still lying onto the couch table.  
"Really couldn't sleep, huh?" she mumbled and he nodded.  
"I left the pictures... I didn't know where to put them."  
The honesty in his voice grabbed her heart like an ice-cold claw.  
"Let's think about that later. Do you think you can handle a painter's roll on your own?"

"Sure, why not?"  
"Good, then I'll leave you your sleeping room, I'll do the corridor and your guestroom, ok?"  
He nodded.  
"Fine." She said and smiled. "I think we should be finished tonight."  
Only a few moments later Sakura was humming one of her favourite songs and he smiled while listening to her. That was all his apartment was lacking: live. He had seen himself like a tool for most of his live, and avoided to think about anything beside that. Feeling human meant to feel pain, and that was something he could life perfectly without, thanks a lot. But the more he thought about that, the more he figured he was missing something. Sure, live was short. Lives of Shinobi were mostly even shorter; Asuma had shown that quite clearly. A loud curse dragged him back to reality and he looked into the corridor, where Sakura was rubbing her sleeve over her face fiercely, smearing bright yellow everywhere. He laughed out loud which made her stop and glare at him.

"I never imagined that yellow suits you so well Sakura." He grinned at her.  
"You're the one to talk. Were you colouring your walls or trying to put on raggery?"  
He touched his face and as he looked at his hand he saw light green spots on it. She was giggling gloatingly and nearly roaring with laughter as marched straight into the bathroom to look in the mirror. He snorted and looked at him critically, mimicking a model's movements.  
"I have to admit, light green is a wonderful colour, and it matches the black of my mask just perfect."  
Sakura thought she was going to die, she hadn't laughed that hard quite a while.  
"You're such a philistine, you wouldn't even recognise true art if it would jump right at you." He stated, a mix between his matter-of-fact-voice and fake-offended-tune.  
"I guess... I have to live... with that..." she managed to say between giggles. "I won't be able to reach a master of arts like you."  
He pulled a face and went back to work.

Truly, a bit after tea-time they were finished. While he was washing out the rolls Sakura was arranging the photographs. Shoving the nails into the wall with her fingers, like the wall was made of butter. She arranged them into a loose heart-shaped-form. Nothing sappy, just nice to look at. After putting the empty pails to the garbage he plopped down on his couch.  
"You like it?" she asked him curiously and he nodded.  
"Looks a lot better than before."  
"Well, you maybe could need a new couch."  
"Hmm... maybe." He made. She slowly nodded and looked around; it looked a lot friendlier than it had yesterday. It didn't seem to crush one when you enter. Her gaze stopped at the photographs, she'd liked to ask him who the people were, but didn't dare to truly do so.  
"How about a cold one at Asakura's?" he asked as casually as he could manage.  
"Is that an invitation?" she asked and turned to look at him.  
"Sort of. As thanks, you know."  
She grinned at him. "Sure. Why not? In one hour? That leaves enough time to eat and shower."  
"Sounds good. Where do we meet?" He asked and stood up.  
"The one who's first fetches the other... means I'm standing in front of your door in 60 minutes."  
She grinned at him and then turned to leave. "Try to be ready on time... _sensei._"  
She could still hear him laughing after she had closed the door behind herself.


	13. Chapter 13

Yosh! Here we go! :)  
Finally done another one, this time a little longer. I hope it's not too strange.  
Like always: Please enjoy and leave me some reviews. ^_^

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Sakura decided to simply make herself a bowl instant-ramen. As she set the water to boil she stripped out of her clothes, throwing them into the clothesbasket while turning on the water in the shower. One hour, normally enough time, but she wanted to be ready earlier. She poured the boiling water over the noodles and then rushed into the bathroom to step under the shower. The spots of the colour started to itch and she needed to scrub them off as soon as possible. Ten minutes later she was finished, her skin bright pink from the rough treatment but without the yellow spots. She dried herself up and then went into her sleeping room, where she opened her wardrobe and thought about what to wear. Nothing too fancy, but nothing too casual as well.  
"Where is Pig when you need her..." she mumbled and looked through her clothes. After combing through her possessings two times she decided to wear her knee long black skirt and her favourite emerald green top. Still with her towel wrapped around herself she went back into the kitchen to eat her ramen. She flinched a little at the taste of it.  
_'I wonder how Naruto could live from that stuff... miles away from Ichiraku...'_ she thought, but as an exception she could go with it. After eating she got dressed, pulled her hair back into a ponytail and looked at the clock, ten minutes. She will give him ten more minutes before she would leave.

The teasing edge of her voice mostly caught him. He was still snickering as she had entered her own apartment. But the happy sounds died away in a long sad sigh. What the hell was he thinking? Or better: why wasn't he thinking? He was so glad that she had said 'invitation' and not 'date'. Oh man! He was ways too old for her, too... what 'too' else? Perverted? Old? Late-coming? Lame excuses? She knew that all already. He bumped his head against the wall lightly and shook it. He hadn't expected to be that lightheaded. He snorted and went into the bath room; he didn't want to be _that_ late. Somehow the word 'junkie' ghosted through his head and he figured it fitted. He knew he hadn't the guts to stay away from her, to keep more distance, _the_ distance he should keep. Kakashi sighed again, what a mess. All the time where the only feelings he allowed himself were grief and guilt things have been quite easy for him. But all the walls he built around himself weren't strong enough to keep her away. Years ago that girl – woman – managed to slip through the little cracks. He always wanted to help her, comfort her, just be there for her, even though she has some really good friends and was grown up enough to fend for herself.

He knew things would go down an alley he never wanted as Tsunade ordered Sakura to take care of him at home. Being even nearer, even closer around her wasn't good for him. Three years ago it had started... that he felt more attracted to her than he should. She had been out on a party, he didn't know where exactly that had been, and she was drunk. Really drunk. Nonetheless she was still standing on her feet, trying to get rid of two too attracted men. The short black dress she had worn, the perfume, the way she had done her hair... too damn sexy. That had been the first evening he truly had doomed Icha-Icha. Since she hadn't been able to deal with the guys on her own he stepped in, scared them away and brought her home. In her booze she had hugged him, not the friendly-half-hearted hug, but a true one. And she had mumbled something like 'you're best... only one trustworthy...' Sure, she had been drunk and it could have been simple babbling, but he knew it wasn't. She had shown him quite often that she truly had meant what she had said. Damn it!  
"Damn it!" he shouted and hit his fist against the wall. He was going to get himself even deeper into his own personal hell... without any resistance.

He put on some black trousers and a black shirt. As he tucked the mask into place he looked at his reflexion in the mirror and frowned. How would someone like her love someone like him? The one eyed freak, the man without a face – at least without a face the world knew. He couldn't imagine that he truly had more feelings for her than just being attracted. He shook his head and headed for the door. He just was down half of the stairs as he met her, surprise written all over her face since she hadn't expected him to be ready yet.  
"Yo." He greeted her and smiled.  
"Hi. I haven't expected you to be..."  
"What? On time?" he asked and winked at her. "Don't tell anyone, I have a reputation to lose."  
She chuckled and turned round. "I think you'll never cease to surprise me."  
"As soon as I stop that I'll die." He joked.  
"That's not funny Kakashi." She just said. "You shouldn't joke with things like that. There are people who truly would miss you. Like Naruto... and me."  
The sober tune in her voice stung him, and he shortly flinched. "Gomen." He mumbled.  
"Just remember it the next time." She said and smiled at him.

Even though it was quite early Asakura's was already crowded. Kakashi found a place in a corner, where it seemed to be a bit quieter.  
"Man, what's up today? It's rarely that crowded..." Sakura grumbled and shoved a man aside who came too close for her taste.  
"I have no idea." He mumbled and waited for her to sit down before joining her. He ordered two beers and then followed her gaze through the crowd.  
"Anything wrong?" he asked her.  
"Nope. Just curious." She stated. "Sort of a thing I started with Ino. Always scan the crowd... bad habit I guess." She grinned a bit sheepishly. He snickered and nodded.  
The steward brought them the beer and then quickly left again. Sakura snickered.  
"Your reputation is faster than you I guess."  
"So it seems." He mumbled and she grinned widely.  
"It's not quite fair to scare people away like that."  
"Who said I was fair?" he replied and grinned at her. Sakura snorted and took one sip of her beer.

Somehow he always managed it to take sips while she wasn't watching. She frowned at herself; the actions she and Naruto had planned to get rid of his mask were still present in her mind.  
"Your girls-eve's have gotten fewer the last two years." He said after a while and Sakura nodded.  
"Yeah. Sad... but that's the way it is. They all have hooked up and missions to do. I didn't know you realized."  
"Well... Ino can hardly be overheard." He snickered and she laughed.  
"No, never. But what can I do? She's the best friend ever. Even though I sometimes would love to kick her butt."  
"Too bossy?"  
"No. Too know-it-all. Sometimes I wonder how Shikamaru is able to stand that. But after the hell of his mother Ino must seem like holidays." He snorted.  
"But since Ino isn't as loud as Guy..." Kakashi flinched as she mentioned his 'rival'.  
"Please... do me a favour. Don't mention him."  
"Why? Afraid that he might show up or what?"  
"You never know..."

Sakura laughed. Sometimes he truly didn't act like he was any older than she, than her friends.  
"You know, sometimes I think your age is just written on paper." She stated offhanded and he looked at her, surprised.  
"Nani?"  
"You caught me quite right. The way you've acted as I mentioned Guy _*flinch*_ is the same way Naruto always squirms when Kiba says something he doesn't want to hear."  
"You think so?"  
"Yes, I do." She said and had to resist the urge to stick out her tongue. "That's a fact, deal with it."  
"Pretty cheeky for an ex-student. Where has the respect gone?" he waved theatrically with his hand.  
"Oh, come on." She laughed. "As you said, ex-student. And I still respect you, it would be lied to say otherwise." She pouted and he snickered.  
"And you so look like a kid when you do so."  
"Cold calculation." She said and winked at him. "Mostly it works."

'If you only know how good it works...' he thought. The sad tune in her voice doesn't go past him, as she mentioned that 'hooked up'. Sakura always had been a social-type, not a loner like him.  
"Ne... Kakashi..." she said and he looked at her with a raised brow. "Why have you invited me?"  
"As thanks." He stated. "And to make sure that you get out of your apartment. Always sitting in there isn't healthy. Not that you need a shrink."  
She snickered at the last part of his sentence. "You know how shitty it is when your own words bite your ass?"  
He grinned and she took the last sip of her beer, a thoughtful look on her face.  
"What's up?" he asked her.  
"I'm dying 'cause of curiosity how that grin would look like without that mask."  
"That piece of cloth?" he asked and pointed at said thing.  
"Yeah, that piece of cloth." She said and ordered the next round beer. "_Exactly_ that thing."  
"Why losing my last secret?" he asked, amusement in his voice.  
"Last secret? You got to be kidding." She snorted and thanked the waiter, who quickly left again.

She sighed and looked at him, until she saw that he was uncomfortable. A smug smile rushed over her face before she looked at the bottle in front of her. To see that she was able to make him feel uneasy was new for her. What surprised her was the fact, that she felt truly comfortable. To have him around at home was something completely different, but here in public... they mostly met when they were out alone, but not with appointment, calling it 'date' would be too much.  
"You won't give it a rest, will you?" he mumbled after a while.  
"Nope. Not until I know it."  
"What if you don't like what you see?"  
"Since when do you worry about something like that?" she asked him and shook her head lightly.  
"I'm getting old, so..."  
"Old... old! Don't make me laugh." Sakura said and leant back, a mocking smile on her lips. "I'd bet that you have not one single wrinkle. And don't come up with grey hair, since it had been silver all your life. I don't think that you need to dye your hair like G.U.Y."

Kakashi blinked and then snickered. "Don't tell me that he truly dyes his hair."  
"Well, if you don't want me to say it... but it's definitely true. And not only his hair... his eyebrows too."  
"How would you know that?" he asked and leant in, while she did the same.  
"Since I know the girl who works at the grocery store AND I have seen him after a longer mission. BEFORE he was able to get home."  
"Naw... not really?!" Sakura giggled, she never thought Kakashi could be such a... gossip monger.  
"Believe it! As sure as I am a natural Pinkie." She said and took a strand of her hair between her fingers. He shook his head unbelievingly and leant back, his arms crossed in front of his chest, while Sakura remained where she was and grinned at him widely.  
"I can't believe I know something you don't."  
"I never thought he'd be so... vain." He said and Sakura burst out laughing.  
"What?" he asked confused.  
"Because I'd say you're the one to talk. I'd bet my ass that you'd go crazy if you'd discover a wrinkle or something like that."

"Hmm..." he made and played with his empty bottle of beer.  
"What?" she asked and looked at him, eyebrow cocked in curiosity.  
"I wonder what I'd do with your ass... because you clearly would lose that bet."  
She snorted and waved the sentence off with her hand. "Forget it, you would just do something perverted."  
"Of course." He said completely sober. "Inviting that ass to a beer or for a round pool... Totally perverted."  
She rolled with her eyes and snickered. "Come on... that's not fair."  
"What? That's true, I'm serious."  
She looked at him sceptically. "Sure..."  
He grinned and winked at her. "It was easier when you were younger, you believed everything I said."  
"Well, that was before I discovered that you made a lot of fun of us."  
"That sounds quite unfair."  
"Making fun of your Genin-Team is unfair." She said and looked at him.  
"Take one and you'll see it yourself." He said and ordered another round.

She sighed and leant back, looking miserable. "I don't know if I'd be a good sensei."  
Kakashi looked at her and smiled warmly. "Don't think about that too much. That's something that comes naturally."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Are you a good Kunoichi or what?"  
"I guess so..."  
"See?" he grinned and paid the bill as the waiter brought the last round beer. Sakura snickered and took a sip beer.  
"It's nice to hear that you think that I'm good."  
"What do you mean with think? I know that you're good. Just because I don't say it doesn't mean that I don't see it."  
"Yeah... see underneath the underneath." She mumbled and he shortly laughed.  
"Yeah, finally you got it." He winked and downed his beer as Sakura looked at the table. "It's good to see that you've learned from me."  
"A lot... in many ways." She said and winked at him.  
"How shall I understand that?" he asked innocently.  
"You'll see." She smiled at him sweetly and then fought back a yawn.

"Time to go home I guess." He said. "How about sparring tomorrow? I could need a little training."  
"Why not? Since I don't have to work at the hospital..."  
"Still holidays?"  
"Not really, shisho hasn't told me to start again. So I'll take that as holidays."  
"Ah. I see." He said and stood up, Sakura followed.  
"Strange that she hasn't said anything about your shifts yet." He said as they nearly had reached their street.  
"Yeah, sort of. I don't know what's going on. Only thing she said was that she leaves me two weeks to make my decision whether I take a Genin-Team or not."  
Kakashi snickered and put his hands in his pockets. "Maybe you'd need a little mission to clear your head."  
"Me? Mission? Forget it. Since two years I haven't left the village. I don't think that I'll leave anytime soon."  
"We'll see." He said and stopped in front of his apartment house. "Good night Sakura."  
"Good night Kakashi." She said and hid a yawn behind her hand. "And thanks."  
"Mah... not for that." He smiled and then went home. Sakura smiled behind his back and then went up into her apartment, for a quick shower and then for her warm bed... which still smelled like him.


	14. Chapter 14

Merry belated Christmas! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in quite a while, but now I can promise you to update quicker. The stress is over! *YAY*  
Thanks to all of you who still keep reading my stories, I'm happy over every single review. As always: please enjoy reading and leave some reviews. :)

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The next morning Sakura woke up due to Guy's daily ranting. She sat up and rubbed her eyes while yawning. After a short look at her alarm clock she rose her brows in disbelief. Already five past eleven! She walked over to the kitchen bare-footed, made her cereal bowl ready and sat onto her counter. Like every day she looked out of the window and over to Kakashi's apartment. Gay had stomped off since he had been ignored like every day, and the silver haired man leant against his kitchen counter, a cup of coffee in his hands. He winked at her and she smiled automatically as reply. To her disappointment he was fully dressed, but nonetheless she was happy to see him. After she had finished her breakfast she slid off the counter and went into the bathroom to get herself ready for the day. She dressed in her usual outfit and left her apartment, just to meet Kakashi already on the street.  
"Yo." He greeted her and she looked at him surprised.  
"Ohayo Kakashi... somehow that's creepy."  
"What?"  
"You're... like... on time."  
"Happens." He said and shrugged, then winked at her.  
"Do that more often and I start to doubt my ideology."  
"Hmm... That's something which would be worth risking." He grinned.

"Sure." She stated, sarcasm dripping out of her voice. "You're going to be on time, Naruto is becoming silent and I'm the next Hokage."  
"Why not? I'd say you'd be able to do that job."  
Sakura stopped dead and glared at him. "You got to be kidding."  
"Kidding? Me? Never." He said completely serious.  
"Kakashi, that's not funny." She mumbled and started moving again. He snickered and followed her, his hands in his pockets.  
"Where have you been this morning?" She quickly switched the topic.  
"How would you know that I had been away?"  
"You haven't looked crumpled."  
"I look crumpled?" he asked and she snickered.  
"Yeah... somehow. I don't know how to explain exactly, but you look different when you just got up."  
"I was... strolling around." He replied and Sakura snorted.  
"Sure. You're a lousy liar."

He bit his tongue so he won't say anything wrong. A short while later they reached one of the training grounds and turned the sign on occupied as they entered.  
"What do you want to practise?" she asked him and put on her gloves.  
"Mah... a bit of everything. As long as you don't crush me." He snickered.  
"Afraid that I have to put you together again?" she said teasingly and started stretching.  
"Afraid? Now you're kidding." He snorted. "That was pure wellness."  
"So you liked it." She said and smiled smugly. "Interesting. I thought you wanted to train? Or is a coffee party more of your taste, _sensei_?"  
"Just make sure you don't wet your pants, _kohai._"  
A wicked grin rushed over her face and he snickered, he knew he had her in the right mood now.  
"Yosh." She answered dangerously calm and cracked her fingers. "Then get your ass moving."  
He grinned but didn't wait for another word and dashed off over the field. Knowing her and her temper it was ways healthier to keep a little distance until she had cooled down enough.

He heard the swirling sound from a bunch of shuriken, which flew towards him and he let himself fall to the ground. They whizzed by and he jumped back to his feet, speeding up and disappearing into the trees. Sakura grit her teeth and grumbled, cursing herself for being so lazy with her training. The last months she hadn't done jack and now it was biting her own ass. Kakashi had been out of training for two weeks, with chakra-blockers. Normally he shouldn't be able to move that fast again.  
"Pah! Who's old?" she grumbled under her breath and tried to locate him. "I guess I'm more rusted then you'll ever be."  
She dashed away towards the trees and pressed herself against one. Somewhere near her a twig broke and her head turned towards the sound.  
"Tch." She hissed. "You should know me better than to fall for these old tricks."  
One kunai was enough and the Bunshin disappeared.

Kakashi snickered as his shadow clone dissolved; he was right about her mood. And her sharp mind.  
"Now this is going to be fun."  
He placed some traps, some of them really half-hearted. But before he could finish it he heard her behind his back.  
"You should try better, _sensei_. Not such half-assed traps."  
He dodged a chakra-loaded punch and jumped backwards.  
"I'm not aiming to kill you." He said and dodged another blow.  
"Wasn't it you who told us once to come with full force at you? Otherwise we won't be able to land a blow?"  
"Yeah, but not the other way round." He was barely able to suck in his gut and avoid being hit hardly. He made a back flip and landed on a branch, but not as graceful as usual: he slipped. He grimaced and after a short moment of insecure he stood on his branch. Sakura smirked; at least he showed a little weakness.  
"And why not the other way round?" she asked, carefully eyeing the surroundings. He snorted.  
"Because I don't want to toast you." The last word wasn't faded as a huge fireball soared towards her.  
"Sure." She hissed and made a quick escape. Well, she thought it was quick; the fire burned the seam of her skirt.

"What the.... damn you Kakashi! I don't suit for barbecue!" She shouted and fumbled with the seam. "Great... truly great. Now even Naruto would be able to sniff me out within miles."  
She headed towards the river and could swear that she heard him laugh.  
"Damn it... you'll get that back you silver haired geek." Sakura grumbled and bathed the seam of her skirt in the water. She refused to believe that he was fully recovered and able to move with his usual speed again. She looked for the wind direction and sneaked up to the little copse where he had been laying traps. She knew that she had to force him out of there, if she truly wanted to kick his butt she had to fight him hand to hand. Tsunade wouldn't like it, but she had to do a little... freehand gardening. A wicked grin rushed over her face as she dashed towards the copse and with a well placed hit blew up the ground. And there he went, right out of the trees! She threw a bunch of shuriken at him and a Bunshin right afterwards to force him to the ground, while she ran around the crumpled earth to the other side. He landed right next to her, dissolving her Bunshin and with his back to her, but nonetheless he was able to dodge her blow.

"Tai-jutsu?" he asked and dodged another hit.  
"So it seems." She bit out and tried harder, getting faster. Somehow she managed to angle a kunai out of her pouch and aimed at his hair. Ruining her skirt had to be punished, and a little haircut in this mess wouldn't be bad, right? But the moment her hand flew right at his face he ducked away and then hissed. Just a little, and truly silent, but nonetheless she could hear it. She stopped dead in motion and let the kunai fall out of her hand. With big eyes she looked at him. Kakashi hadn't stopped that dead, he spun around and away from her before he stopped.  
Sakura blinked and gaped at him. He had a cut through his mask, nearly from his nose to his ear, and a fine red line marked his skin.  
"Oh my gosh! Kakashi I'm sorry!"  
"For what?" he asked and she gestured the line of the cut and he clapped his hand over his face.  
"Oh..." he made and looked at his fingers, only to see a fine line blood.  
"I'm sorry." She mumbled and put the kunai back into her pouch.  
"For what?"  
"Hurting you."  
"Usually training is supposed to be hard. You should come at me with full force. And usually you did it."  
"Yeah, but only because I know that you're always able to dodge these attacks."

He blinked and had to fight back a smile. "Now come on. A bit more training won't do any harm."  
"Duck faster the next time, not that I cut of your head." Sakura said sarcastically.  
"I guess I can do that." He grinned at her and brought some distance between them both. Sakura rolled her eyes and cracked her fingers.  
"You asked for it." She mumbled.  
"Hey, now we're even." He grinned at her and pointed at her burned seam.  
"You! So you truly had heard me."  
"Hey, I have good ears, you know." He snickered and she charged at him.  
They practised until Sakura felt her muscles burn like hellfire.

"Let's call it a day please." She breathed and let herself fall down into the grass. "And you say you're getting old... man, I feel thirty years older."  
"At least I'm older than you." He said and sat down, panting a little heavier than usual.  
"Look at you... you're barely sweating and I'm completely on the ropes."  
He snorted and let himself fall back. "Well... you've been lazy the last months."  
"I know." She sighed. "But since I haven't been on a mission in quite a while..."  
"Lame excuses, Sakura." He snickered and threw a scroll over to her.  
"What's that?" she said and rolled it off.  
"A mission. I thought it would be good for you to see the outsides of the village."  
"What the... truly? You're not kidding me?" she looked at him and then started reading the scroll.  
"Nope, I'm not kidding. But since you're that... what have you called it? Rusted? I'm afraid we have to train a little harder the next weeks. Mission start is in one month. Our Employee had ordered a bunch of new servants, that's the way we're going to slip into his household. That means we have three and a half weeks left to get you fit again."  
Sakura groaned but then grinned and sat up.  
"You have been at Tsunade's this morning, right?" she asked and eyed him curiously.  
"Me? Nope."  
"As I said, you're a lousy liar." She grinned at him and then leant over to tousle through his hair. "Thanks a lot Kakashi."  
"You're welcome." He snickered and sat up. "Let's go home; you need some magnesium into your system. Otherwise you won't be able to move tomorrow."  
"Hey! Who's the medic?" she laughed and held out her hand to help him up. He let her help him up and winked at her.  
"I guess I owe you, huh?" Sakura asked on their way back home.  
"Owe? For what?"  
"For talking Tsunade into sending me on a mission."  
"You're welcome." He winked at her and went up the stairs to his apartment. She snickered and shook her head, tomorrow would be hell for her, that was sure.


	15. Chapter 15

Yosh... Another chapter. I hope I haven't messed up the language. What should I say?

Maybe the same like always: Enjoy and leave some reviews. ^_^

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Sakura felt every muscle as she walked up the stairs to her apartment. Stripping out of her clothes was quite a painful experience. She laughed and grimaced at the same time. Just like in her Genin-days, the same sore muscles, the same Jonin was guilty and the same training ground too. She went into the bathroom and took a shower. That truly was hell of a training session. As the hot water poured down on her she closed her eyes, leant her forehead against the tiles and groaned. How rusted she was...  
Afterwards she dressed in fresh clothes and looked through her kitchen cabinets for her pipe with magnesium-fizzy-tablets. She wore one of her father's old sweaters and cosy trousers. While she waited for the tablet to dissolve she sat down on her chair, her legs crossed. She looked out of the window and down on the street. Slowly the village became busy, the academy was over and the students went home. Quite a huge group was right in front of her house, running and laughing. She looked at them; none of them seemed to be an outsider, they seemed like a big group of friends. Absent-minded she rubbed over her forehead and grinned as she felt the thinking-crease – the reason why Kakashi so often made fun of her.

He made himself a cup of tea and while he waited for the water to boil he looked out of the window. The goings-on on the street only caught his interest for a few moments, and then his gaze wandered up to Sakura's windows. He smiled as he saw her sitting in her kitchen and looking out of the window. She was mature enough to take care of a team; he knew that she was feeling it. Even though she wouldn't admit it. How he would like to lie down on the couch, next to her. Even if they'd only be silent, just keeping each other's company. But asking her for something like that... He sighed. That was truly lousy. He took his tea and went into the living room, looked for his favourite book and lay down on the couch. Maybe he could distract himself... at least a little.  
But after a while he gave it up, his tea was cold and he had stared at least half an hour at the same paragraph without truly reading it. He stood up and left his apartment, heading for the graveyard.

As he reached it he headed straight to Asuma's grave. He fumbled a cigarette out of his pocket, lightened it up and laid it next to his tombstone before he buried his hands deep in his pockets. "You know, sometimes you truly were a pain in the ass..." he mumbled silently and a light wind ruffled through his hair. A sad smile rushed over his face as he hunched down and put a hand on the stone. "But sometimes I truly miss you man. The last one to talk to... quite shitty." The wind let the fag roll towards him and he looked at it. "Honestly, I never understood what you liked at this stinking stuff. Don't tell me that it truly tasted." He looked at the smoky thing and sighed. Sometimes he truly was able to block things out, but some of them always came back. And this case belonged to the coming back stuff. He sighed. Usually he and Asuma were sitting together in a pub, both drinking Sake, Kakashi was silent while Asuma was talking and smoking. It was an easy companionship and maybe his only true friend. They silently were talking about their issues without looking at each other, that would have been too embarrassing.

At the beginning Kakashi had regarded Asuma as an easygoing person, but after a while he was able to look behind that facade. Sarutobi carried quite a big package, being the son of the Sandaime, one of the protectors of the fire, always handle the missions exemplary. And then the thing with Kurenai. He had loved her, with every fibre of his very being, but couldn't admit it openly because of the elders and the reputation. He was about to tell it as he was called to that fatal mission where Hidan caused the injuries that killed him.  
Asuma was the only who saw through him instantly, who never bought any of his excuses. He stood next to him at the memo-stone, just being with him, trying to lift at least a little of the guilt the silver haired man felt. Who thought that he would have his name engraved on that damn stone too? "You're leaving me with only two I could talk to, Gai and Genma." Another breeze came up and rolled the fag to the left and his eyes grew wide, before it rolled over to the right side and there it stopped. "That truly was your sort of humour, right?" he mumbled and stubbed the rest of the cigarette out. "I'll keep those." He said and touched the package in his pocket. As he turned to leave he looked over his shoulder. "I truly miss you, my friend."

The hands buried in his pockets and his gaze fixed on the ground in front of him. He never looks around but today he didn't see anything. He marched past Guy who had opened his mouth to say something but closed it again as he saw the look in his eye. He definitely wasn't in the mood to talk. But not everyone was as cautious like that, at least Genma wasn't known for that.  
"Yo copy cat, what's up?" Kakashi froze in motion and turned to look at him. "What's wrong? Your book ruined?" he grinned and took the Senbon out of his mouth. The silver haired man inwardly sighed and rolled his eyes.  
"What's up with you, Senbon-sucker?"  
"Mah... just thinking how to kill my time. How about a beer?"  
"You pay? I'm for it."  
Genma groaned and flinched but stepped next to him. "Mah... I guess I can't back out now, huh?"  
"Nope, I don't think so. Unless you want a title like 'chicken'."  
The bandana wearing man lifted his hands in defeat. "You got me. Asakura's?" Kakashi nodded and both men went silently through the streets.

The pub wasn't crowded, since it was just early evening and sundown was still a while away. But it didn't bother any of them. They looked for a silent edge and sat down. Genma ordered two bottles of beer and then looked at the copy Nin.  
"So what's up with you?" Genma asked and looked at him.  
"Nani?"  
"Oh come on! You're looking even more pathetic than usual. You still have your book; you'd be pissed off if you'd have lost it. And it's no obit either. So don't tell me that there's nothing bothering you."  
Kakashi just grumbled and looked at the bottle in front of him.  
"Everything fine with you and Shizune?" he asked after a while and Genma snorted.  
"Fine? Normally I'd say yes, but at work she has that much to do... the last days I didn't even dare to ask her something, I'm too afraid that she'd poison my coffee."  
Kakashi snickered and the man looked at him. "You're making me curious Hatake. What's up with you? You seem to have a need to talk but don't want to spit it out."

Kakashi wasn't the social guy, and maybe he never would be one, but a conversation only could start if both sides were talking. And admit it or not, he needed advice. Saddest thing was that he had to ask Genma to help him.  
"How have you started that with Shizune?" Genma looked at him with a you-got-to-be-kidding-me-look.  
"I'm honest, how did that start?"  
"You truly are strange... well... how did it start?" he rubbed his head and took a sip of his beer. "Hmm... good question. We were at one of Anko's parties and talked the whole evening, after that we went out for dinner several times and some when we ended up in bed." A smug smile rushed over his face before he took another sip. "She stayed for breakfast the next day and from that on I guess you can say we were a couple. So, why do you ask? Do you have someone in mind?"  
The silver haired man mumbled something inapprehensible and Genma grinned.  
"You have someone in mind." He laughed and Kakashi winced. "Hehe, I bet I know her."

Genma grinned and ordered another round beer and looked at him with a sly grin. "Ah... I see. The world's most famous copy cat Hatake Kakashi needs help. Now isn't that wonderful?"  
Kakashi shot him a death glare but Genma simply shrugged it off.  
"So, spit it out already. What's up? Made her angry?"  
"No...I haven't told her yet." The hint of despair didn't get lost and Genma stopped grinning.  
"Uh oh. That doesn't sound good. Do you plan to enlighten me or should I guess?"  
"It's not that easy." The silver haired man mumbled. "I can't just walk up to her and tell her. Not that I even know how to do that."  
"I can't give you a nostrum, if that's what you're heading to." He said candidly and looked at Kakashi. "I'm afraid that I could regret that question, but I simply have to ask. Who is it?"  
Kakashi looked uneasy. "Sakura" he mumbled silently and Genma nearly choked on his beer.  
"What?" he said and coughed, while Kakashi rubbed his face and somehow tried to hide behind his hand.  
"Did I get you right? Pinkie?"  
"Shhh!" he made and Genma waved for the waiter.  
"Bring us Sake please."

The next minutes they sat in silence, Genma stared on his Sake-cup and Kakashi held his eye closed.  
"I can understand why." Genma said and played with his Senbon. "She's no kid anymore and a truly good looking woman. But I don't get where you have the problem. Are you afraid that she could knock you out?" Kakashi snickered and shook his head.  
"I could dodge it, that's not the problem. She'd think that I'm an old perverted geezer, hitting on my former student."  
"I don't think so. The way she looks at you tells something different."  
Kakashi looked at him with a questioningly look and Genma nodded.  
"Don't tell me you haven't noticed yet."  
"What?"  
"Come on Kakashi! You're looking through any jutsu but you're completely unable to read human emotions and feelings." Genma started laughing and Kakashi drummed with his fingers on the table.  
"Don't overdo it, Genma." The laughing changed into coughing and then died away completely.  
"And not a word to anyone, if you feel attached to your tongue. Did I make myself clear?"  
The other man gulped hard and nodded.  
"So... what do you intend to do?" he asked and Kakashi shrugged.  
"I am completely clueless."

Sakura sighed as she had finished her tea. She needed to talk, but not with Ino, not yet. She dressed, grabbed her purse and left. Without further thinking her feet carried her to exactly the right address: Tenten.  
She knocked at the door and waited. It took a while until her friend opened the door.  
"Oy Sakura-chan! Konbanwa! You're looking horrible. Come in." She stepped aside and let her enter.  
"Thanks."  
She followed her into the living room and sat down on the couch. Tenten must have been working on something; a few scrolls were lying around. She wore one of Neji's shirts and loose pants, her hair was hanging openly down and reached the same length Sakura had in her Genin days.  
"So, what's up Sakura-chan? Lee bugging you?"  
"No, Lee's innocent. I need to talk. I sort of have a problem. Well... not a true problem, not that I don't like it, but I shouldn't... at least I think so. I'm not sure..."  
Tenten laughed. "You're sounding a little confused, you know."  
"Yeah." Sakura said and sighed.  
"How about you tell me from the beginning?"  
"Do you have something alcoholic at home?"  
"Is it going to be that bad?"  
"I don't know, but if I'm too embarrassed later I need something to get drunk. Really drunk."  
"The only thing I have left is some sparkling wine, Neji doesn't truly like it."

Sakura sighed and grabbed a pillow. "I guess Ino is right."  
It took Tenten a while before she got what Sakura meant, then realisation dawned and her eyes lit up.  
"Naw, Sakura-chan! Are you serious?"  
"Yeah... is that... bad?"  
"Bad? You got to be kidding! That's great!"  
"But the age-difference?"  
"And where's the problem? Oh come on Sakura! That's great! How is he? Does he know it?"  
Her eyes gleamed as she smiled at her pink haired friend.  
"Oh Tenten... he didn't know anything."  
"Not?"  
"No. I haven't told him. I mean... not that he thinks I just... sort of... fall for him because he was my sensei."

"You think so? Nay... I don't think so. Now, spit it out already."  
"Ino had definitely told you that I was taking care of him... at home. Ordered by shisho. First I was afraid that it could become a drag, but it wasn't. It was... so great to have him around. I mean... he's such a great company, you really can talk with him... and the looks..."  
"Looks? Tell me!"  
"He's so well-trained, really in great shape. I mean, you know how... flabby Gai's skin is? His is firm."  
"Firm as in 'still in place'?"  
"Nope, firm as in 'nothing has changed over the years' and: he smells good."  
"How do you know? You didn't walk up to him and sniff. Did you?"  
"Nope. He slept in my bed, don't look like that! I was sleeping on the couch, but now I'm sleeping in it again and... maaan, I guess I truly have a problem."  
"Wait a second." Tenten stood up and went into the kitchen. A short while later she returned with two glasses of sparkling wine. She passed one to Sakura and grinned at her.  
"Good that you came to me and not to Ino. Whole Konoha would know it tomorrow."  
"I know. Hina-chan's not an option either... I'm so glad that you're here."  
Tenten laughed and they raised their glasses. "Let's drink to you and a happy ending for that story."  
Sakura took a sip and then sighed. "Yeah. Let's hope it."


	16. Chapter 16

Yosh... another chapter. Like always... I hope you like it! Enjoy!

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It was nearly twelve in the evening as they heard a key in the lock and Tenten jumped from the couch and hurried to the door. Neji had returned from the mission he had been on. He kissed his better half on the head, called a "Hey Sakura-chan!" into the living room and then went into the bathroom.  
Tenten came back and grinned from one ear to the other.  
"Does he need treatment?" Sakura asked and her friend shook her head.  
"Nope. Looks good, he seems to be a little exhausted but that's nothing a good night's sleep can't cure."  
"Good."  
"Now, for your issue... watch him closely. See how he reacts on you, there are signs you can't misread. Trust me."  
"Hmm... I just have to wait, I guess."  
"With what"?" Neji asked as he came into the living room.  
"Girls-stuff." Tenten grinned and he nodded.  
"Ah, none of my business. Have I missed something essential?"  
"Nope, everything as it had been as you left." Tenten answered and Sakura nodded in agreement.  
"Oh, wait. Hina had been here." She stood up and handed him a scroll out of the bookshelf.

"I guess I'll go home now. Had been a long day and I feel every muscle." Sakura said and stood up as well.  
"Started training again?" Tenten asked and she nodded.  
"If you need a sparring-partner, I'm available the next two weeks." Neji offered.  
"Maybe I'll come back on your offer, but now I need to sleep. See you around." She went to the door and Tenten followed her.  
"Do what I said, ok?"  
"I will. I hardly doubt that I'm able to stay away from him."  
"Who said you should? Tell me if something changed, ok? I'm curious, you know."  
Sakura grinned and hugged her friend. "I will tell you, believe me. You know that I always need someone to talk to."  
"Yosh! Good night, Sakura-chan."  
"Good night."

Sakura went home, slower as usual with her hands buried deep into her pockets. Her mind was racing; could she really show him how she felt? Or would he just laugh and walk away, waving it off as a crush on a teacher? She sighed. She feared it could end like it had the last time. She snorted about her own thoughts, Kakashi had never turned away. She stopped as she turned into their street and looked up to the sky. Three days and it would be full moon. Again she sighed and like always her gaze was drawn to his apartment. The curtains still were open and the rooms were dark, so she guessed he wasn't at home. She shook her head, and went on. Why should he stay at home? He's a grown man and can do whatever he wanted. She entered her apartment building and went up to her floor. She felt tired, really tired. Within five minutes she was laying in her bed, deeply inhaling his scent and shortly after she fell asleep.

"Does she always act like that?" Genma asked who sat next to Kakashi – on Sakura's house.  
"Yeah, I guess so. When she sees me she smiles and waves before she enters the building."  
"Truly?" the Senbon-user asked and took the needle out of his mouth. "Wow. That's... interesting."  
Kakashi sighed and rubbed his neck, that truly was strange.  
"I just can tell you, keep watching her; look for signs. A Woman's eyes are the best indicators. Believe me; Shizune can give me looks that are more dangerous than her poisonous-mist."  
The silver haired man snickered; he knew too well what Genma meant. He had seen Sakura and her girls so often... just seeing the looks she threw at Ino when the blonde was talking about things she shouldn't.  
"If you want me to talk to her, just tell me." Genma offered and the copy Nin shrugged.  
"Unless you don't blow our cover."  
"Are you crazy? Sakura gets angry, then my woman gets angry and then I have hell at home. Never ever, be sure."  
"Don't tell me you can be... sensible."  
"Believe me, I can. But if you don't want to hear it... well. I guess I'll go home now, otherwise my woman kills me. See ya 'round Kakashi."  
"Yeah, see ya."

Genma disappeared and Kakashi stayed where he was, he just leant back and looked up into the sky. He watched the moon wander over the sky and then he sighed.  
"Had been a good idea to talk with him, thank you a lot old friend." He mumbled up to the moon and then stood up. He jumped down and then went into his apartment, hoping that at least this night he would be able to get enough sleep.  
The night was quite short, he had the feeling that his had just had made contact with his pillow as someone was knocking wildly at his door.  
"Coming." He grumbled and fought his way out of his bed. He slipped into his trousers and grabbed his mask, pulling it into place on his way to the door. But the person in front of the door didn't wait, the knocking stayed as constant as it had been.  
"I said coming." He grumbled and ripped the door open. Shizune stood in front of him, a mix of annoyance and surprise in her face.  
"Good morning Shizune-san, if you're pissed because Genma came home that late..."  
"Ohayo Kakashi-san. I'm not angry."  
"I see." He stated dryly and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  
"Yosh... I mean I'm not angry at you... Gomen. Tsunade-sama wanted me to deliver that to you." She said and handed him a scroll.  
"And that had to be... now?" he asked.  
"Yes. I'm sorry, but you're back on duty by now. Get ready and fetch your last instructions at the office. See you later, Kakashi-san."

He blinked and looked at the empty staircase where the woman had stood a while ago. Back on duty? He closed the door and unrolled the scroll. After he had read it he groaned and let himself fall down on the couch. The last mission of this kind had brought him into Sakura's care, not that he would complain about that fact, but the mission had brought him dangerously close to his limits. He sighed, he had planned to train with Sakura and maybe invite her out for dinner, but that had to wait now. After a quick breakfast and a cleaning-up – means a coffee and cat-wash – he dressed and headed to the door. As he nearly was out he stopped and went back in, tore off an edge of the paper of the scroll and scribbled down a notice for Sakura. He wrapped it around a kunai and threw it at the wall right next to her kitchen window, and then headed towards the Hokage tower.  
Tsunade was already drumming with her fingers onto her desk as he finally arrived through her open window.  
"Yo." He greeted lazily and the Godaime snorted.  
"Nice that you show up." She grumbled and he rubbed the back of his head.  
"You've read the instructions. Any further questions?"  
"Well, not a question. More like a little... courtesy."  
She cocked an eyebrow at him and leant back in her chair. "What do you want?"  
"Give me a partner. The last mission was hard."  
"Finally you learned it." She grinned self-satisfied. "I thought about that earlier. Hyuga Neji is joining you; meet him at the gates right away. Don't leave him waiting, he just had returned from an A ranked mission."  
He sighed, nodded and then left the office.

As Sakura woke up she groaned. Yesterday's training truly got the hell out of her. She flinched as she stood up and walked over to her medicine chest, looking it through for painkillers. She laughed about her own laziness and waited for the medicine to take effect. While doing so she slowly went into the kitchen to prepare her breakfast. She looked out of the window and was surprised to see a kunai with a piece of paper. She immediately recognised the paper Tsunade used for her mission-orders. Sakura opened her window and pulled the weapon out of wall. She took the notice and sat down to read it.  
_Had to leave on a mission, training has to be cancelled. Sorry. Kakashi_**  
**She sighed and put the piece of paper and the kunai aside. She really had been looking forward to see him again.

But there was no time to think about that now, because someone was banging at her door. The way alone was enough for her to recognise who it was, and if that certain who wouldn't stop that right now...  
"PIG! Demolish my door and you're done for!" she barked and the banging stopped. As she opened the door Ino was grinning sheepishly at her.  
"Took you quite a while to open, Forehead. Had male company or what?"  
"No, I haven't. Actually I have sore muscles and it's a bit... painful to walk. What do you want Ino?"  
"Strange... you still smell like him..." the blonde mumbled and then looked at her friend. "Tsunade send me here. You should start work at the hospital again. Tomorrow, late-shift."  
Sakura groaned and pulled a face. Hospital again, how she had missed that...  
"Great, just great. Thanks Pig."  
"Hey, it's not my fault. See you there Forehead, I have the same shift."  
"Yeah, but I'd bet you only have to jump in for one who has holidays, means you're free to go after two weeks."  
"Take a Genin-Team and you're free too." Ino said and grinned. "See you tomorrow, Forehead."  
"Bye Pig."

She closed the door and went back to her breakfast. Now she wasn't able to see him and had to go back to work again. She grumbled and fought hard not to hit something. She wanted to become a medic to be of use out on the field, not at home where it was sometimes too late to help because the seriously hurt ones rarely made the way back. The thought of taking a team became more attractive with each passing day.  
After breakfast she made herself ready for the day and decided to go to the training grounds as it had been planned for today. She had to do something, sitting at home and gazing at the windows of an empty apartment wasn't an option. And it had no practical use either.  
"Yo Pinkie!" She blinked and looked around; it clearly was none of her friends, not even Naruto dared to call her that. She saw Genma, who leant casually against a wall, and smirked at her.  
"Yo Genma-san. What's up? Shizune bugged you?" she grinned and he flinched.  
"No, she didn't." He declared. "On the way to the training grounds?"  
"Obviously yes." She replied, like usual Genma was jumping on her nerves.  
"Great. Mind if I join you? Kakashi asked me to assist you a little."  
"He did? So you knew he's going on a mission?"  
"Sort of." He mumbled. Good that he hadn't said anything, but at least he had some days now to figure some things out.

"Just great. He's able to tell you but not able to tell me." She mumbled and frowned. A short grin rushed over his face.  
"Well... we were out drinking some beer yesterday. I guess he didn't want to wake you as he had to leave."  
Sakura stopped and looked at him. "Are you serious?"  
"Sure! Now, Shizune said you have to work tomorrow?"  
"Yeah, Shisho put me back on shift. Late-shift, a week I guess."  
"How about we train in the morning? I've heard you're going on a mission, so it wouldn't harm, right?"  
"Such a grass." She mumbled and he snickered.  
"Well, words like that travel fast." He winked at her.  
"Since when are you so interested in helping me?"  
"Since I need someone to kick his butt and since I can't do it I need someone who can. And that's you."  
First she didn't know what to say and looked a bit stunned, but then a wicked grin rushed over her face.  
"Fine. Then move on, I want to get some decent training done."  
"Aye ma'am." Genma grinned and followed her towards the training grounds.


	17. Chapter 17

Gomen to all that I kept you waiting so long, but my life is a little upside down right now. I had lot of stress the last months and I rarely found any time for me. I apologise to all of you for not updating, and especially to one person – I won't name you, because I don't know if it's ok with you – for being snappy at your good meant critiques. After a while of distance and reading your posting again I know that you didn't mean anything mean. I'm sorry, really.

Well, this chapter had taken me a while and I'm not completely satisfied with it, but I promise to do better in the next one. I'm not going to write much about the mission, since I'm not good at writing fighting scenes AND I like Kakashi and Neji too much to be an ass towards them.

As always: Please enjoy and keep reading. ^_^

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Genma watched her closely as they walked towards the training grounds. She truly must have something for him, but how much and what... that was his self-imposed mission to figure out. He mused how much Kakashi already knew or guessed, but he would have to wait until he came back to ask him. At least he knew that the silver haired man was interested.  
"Say, Sakura-chan... Kakashi said you helped him to improve his shack?"  
"Yeah. It had been too dull, no wonder he sometimes seemed so depressive."  
"As long as you don't drape pink curtains and stuff in his apartment..."  
Sakura snickered. "Don't get me into mischief Genma-san."  
Said man laughed and shook his head. "I see you truly have potential."  
"What are you planning?" she eyed him suspiciously.  
"Me?" he asked and acted the innocent. "Nothing."  
"Sure, of course." She said and nodded. Genma laughed again.

He took the Senbon out of his mouth and scratched himself behind his ear. He chewed on his lower lip and mimed the thinker.  
"See, Sakura-chan. I mean, I know you're smart... so I won't lie to you." Genma started and looked at her curiously.  
"Genma-san, what are you up to? If you want me to steal anything or hurt him in any way... forget it." She bit out and looked at him appraisingly.  
"I've never planned something like that."  
"And why would you say 'kick his butt'?" she asked and cracked her knuckles.  
*Uhoh, this could become unpleasant.* he thought. "Uh... I meant figuratively. He's sort of hard to animate... when it comes to going out and stuff."  
Sakura cocked a brow at him and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  
"And you want me to believe that?"  
"Sort of." He mumbled and waited for her reaction. Instead of exploding she burst out laughing.  
"You're such a bad liar."

He looked at her and was unsure what to do. Sakura sometimes showed the same mood-switches like Shizune, and they can hurt.  
"What do you mean?" he asked carefully.  
"You know what I mean. You're piloting me out here, telling me you need me to kick Kakashi's 'butt' and now you're telling me that it's just to get him to go out. Genma-san, please, what's the true intention behind that all?"  
He blinked at her, too stunned to answer.  
"I'm no kid anymore. And seeing through flimsy lies was one of the first lessons I've learned. So what do you truly want?"  
"To get to know you better." He replied promptly and honestly meant it. Sakura still eyed him curiously but was – for the time being – satisfied with his reply.

"So... what do we do now?" she said and stretched.  
"First building up stamina. You seem a bit sore. Kakashi said you have trained a bit yesterday."  
"Yeah..." she said and rubbed the back of her head. "Sort of have been teetotal the last months."  
"What? The last _months_?" he looked at her and blinked in surprise. Sakura blushed and looked down while she lightly nodded.  
"Why?"  
"Well... since Tsunade hadn't sent me on missions in quite a while..."  
"When had been your last mission?"  
"Um... actually it's been fifteen months, add or skip a few days."

Genma blinked and inwardly sighed. He had expected a long time, but not _that_ long.  
"That's... long." He said.  
"I know. And I'm not proud because of that, believe me."  
"Well... then we better get started."  
She nodded and prepared for a long sparring session.

Hours later she fell to the ground. She was too exhausted to keep the hold on the tree branch and landed with an ungraceful 'thud' on the ground. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her back.  
"I'd say we call it a day." Genma said and landed next to her. "Otherwise you won't be able to move tomorrow. Tsunade wouldn't be pleased."  
"I guess you're right." She mumbled and tried to stand up. He shook his head and helped her to stand up.  
"I never thought that you'd be so rusted. "He said and eyed her curiously. "Are you sure you're ok?"  
"Just exhausted." She said and put a smile on her face. "But I think I'll better go and visit the Onsen."  
"Sounds like a good idea. Tomorrow morning at eight?"  
"Yosh. See you tomorrow, Genma-san."

Sakura turned round and slowly left the training ground, she knew perfectly well that Genma was still watching her. And she would bet that he was smirking. Actually she already could feel every muscle, tomorrow would be even harder than this morning. She walked past a pharmacy and bought herself new magnesium tablets, painkillers she still had at home. As the hot springs came into her view she smiled and walked a bit faster.  
As she felt the hot water she sighed. Not even in her Genin days training had been so hard for her. Her body was aching and that after only two sessions. On a mission she would be nothing but a slow down. How could she have been so lazy? Sure, she hadn't been on mission quite a while, but that shouldn't be a reason to stop training. She leant her head back and looked up into the sky. Maybe she should heal her muscles so it won't hurt that much... She remembered back to the time where she had started her training with Tsunade. She hadn't allowed her to heal herself in order to get stronger and doing it now would mean breaking with the ideals she had set herself.

As the temperature of the water was getting too much for her she left the hot springs and went home. Her way led past Ichiraku's and her stomach remembered her with a painful grumble that she needed something to eat. Cooking seemed too much of a drag to her, so she decided to drop by.  
"Konbanwa, Sakura-san." Teuchi greeted her. "You look like you had a hard day."  
"You are so right, Teuchi-san. One Miso-Ramen please. I had a hard session with Genma-san, I truly have to go back to training."  
"Don't let that get you down. I'm sure you can handle that." He smiled at her and then turned round to start preparing her order.  
*I guess there are a few more things to handle than that.* she thought and remembered the Genin days, where she was sitting at exactly the same stool, trying to get Kakashi out of his mask. And there it was again! That word, that name that shook her to the core: Kakashi.

She fought hard to suppress a sigh. In what trouble she had gotten herself into? Every time she entered her apartment it hit her straight in the face that it was empty. This morning she had such a longing to see him that the first thing she did was walking straight into the kitchen and looking out of the window. She didn't know how to put that all, seeing him as a man and fellow Shinobi and not as her sensei was one thing, hitting on him was another. Talking with Tenten was one thing to do; at least it truly meant admitting that she felt more for him than just friendship. But what did that solve? Her thoughts were interrupted as Teuchi placed a steaming bowl right in front of her. With a graceful smile she took a pair of chopsticks and started eating.  
No matter what she did, when it came to Kakashi her mind was running in circles. She had to change that... somehow.  
As she had finished her bowl, she paid and went home. Slowly her muscles started to torture her and she took two of her magnesium tablets and one painkiller before she went to bed.

The alarm clock kicked her out of the bed ways too early. She thought that she had just drifted to sleep as she had to stay up again. If yesterday had been hell for her to get up, today was even worse. Groaning she went into the bathroom and took two painkillers for breakfast. Sakura got dressed and then left and jogged to the training grounds. As she reached the gate – where Genma already waited – the medicine finally worked.  
"Ohayo, Sakura-chan." He grinned and took the Senbon out of his mouth. "Slept well?"  
"Ohayo, Genma-san. Don't ask, please don't ask."  
"That bad? Are you sure you want to train?"  
"Definitely, yes." She said and smiled determined. "I have to start now. So, what do we do today?"  
"Same as yesterday. As soon as it doesn't exhaust you that much anymore we go ahead."  
"Do you think we'll get me fit enough for the mission?"  
"Hehe... trust me." He winked at her. "Let's get started."

Three hours later they stopped, since she had to go to work. Gladly it was a quiet day and the worst thing had been a laceration. After her shift she decided to go jogging, even though she was tired and longed for her bed badly. Ino had said it right a few years ago: Once Sakura made up her mind she doesn't back down. She snorted as she thought about that sentence, but she didn't want to disappoint Kakashi. There he was again. She grinned as she jogged through the streets of Konoha and felt better as she reached her apartment. Maybe her body remembered her old form faster than expected.  
The next days she felt better and better, and the stronger and agile she felt the stronger grew the longing to see him again. The days passed and two weeks were over faster than she thought, and still there had been no message from Kakashi, though Tsunade had expected him to send one. Even if that waiting somehow killed her, she trained on, without recognising the more or less subtle questions Genma was asking her.


	18. Chapter 18

Teehee, finally another chappy. I so hope you like it. As promised this one is longer than the last. Please enjoy and leave some reviews. ^_^

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Sakura groaned as she entered her office at the hospital. A big pile of files covered her desk, with a bright pink post-it note, that said 'to be done ASAP'. Gritting her teeth she marched towards the papers and quickly scanned over them.  
"I see you have the same height of files." Shizune said who stopped in the door. Sakura nodded.  
"I thought I had done all of that stuff last week."  
"You know her. Sake is more important to her than her work. Be glad, you only have the hospital stuff, I have to chew through the Hokage stuff as well."  
"Poor thing." She said and Shizune smiled bravely.  
"I'll get it done. The earlier I start, the earlier I'm finished. Genma said he'll 'grab us some grub'." She imitated her lover and Sakura giggled.  
"Sounds like him. See you later during the break?"  
"I don't know... We will see. Good luck." The older woman grinned while nodding towards the pile and then headed for her own office to get the work done.

Sakura sat down and stared at the papers, at least her sore muscles were fine now. Since two days she was back to her old form, and liked it. The training sessions with Genma were now as much training for him as for her. She snickered again as she remembered the face he had pulled yesterday as she ambushed him on the training ground. He had kept his promise, she was fit for her mission, but her mission partner wasn't back home yet. Sighing she started to sort through the stuff on her desk, splitting it up in smaller piles that belonged to the same topic.  
"Still worried about that silver head?" she heard a voice behind her and nearly cleared off her desk in one wipe out of shock.  
"How about a 'hello' first? You nearly killed me." She grumbled and Genma grinned while he held out a bento box to her apologetically.  
"Naw, c'mon Sakura-chan. Have a heart. Grant an old man like me his fun."  
"For now." She said and took the box. "I hope you've been at Shizune's before?"  
"Yeah, of course. Now, you haven't answered my question." He grinned and sat down on a low bookshelf next to the desk.  
"Which question?" she asked and examined the contents of her bento box.  
"I asked you if you're worried about the silver head."  
"Why shouldn't I?" she said and broke apart the chopsticks. "He was supposed to send back a note, but he hasn't. I'm simply worried that something could've happened to him. You know he had attracted many serious injuries the last missions. That fateful mission..." She mumbled and let the sentence unfinished. Genma knew exactly which mission she meant, and he caught the little hint in her voice that she cared more for him than she would let on.

He snickered to himself. Finally he was getting to hear what he wanted to.  
"So..." he started. "What if I would tell you that the person in question had just arrived back home, without any injuries, just exhausted as hell but aside of that quite fine?"  
Sakura nearly choked on her lunch and took a while to get a grip on her breathing.  
"You shouldn't do that..." she managed to get out.  
"What? You do not intent on telling me that you think I'm lying?" he said and looked offended.  
"I have to admit that this thought had crossed my mind." She said and put away the chopsticks. "So, were you lying?"  
"No. But you haven't answered my question. What would you say?"  
She chewed on her lip for a while before she took her chopsticks back into her hand and smiled to herself.  
"I would say that this is good news." The way her eyes seemed to change told him more than she could've said with words.  
"Well, I just ran into him. He looked damn tired. I bet he's hungry when he wakes up. Maybe I'll go and drag him out to eat this evening." He mused and grinned inwardly at the twitch of her brow.  
"Yosh... I guess I better get going. Still have some things to do, and as I can see you have as well."  
"Hmm." She nodded with her mouth full, then hastily gulped down and blinked away some tears because she had swallowed too much. "Thank... you... Genma-san..."  
"Nothing to thank me for, Pinkie." He grinned widely and then leapt out of the window.

Genma was pleased with himself. He smiled and went to Kakashi's apartment, where he knocked at the door.  
"Hey man! I know you're home! Let me in, I have something to tell you!"  
"Do you promise to stop shouting when I let you in?" came a muffled voice through the door.  
"I swear it."  
Without any answer Kakashi opened the door and shuffled back into the living room.  
"You truly look messy, man." Genma said as he followed him. "Wow, nice new colours."  
"Yeah... had been Sakura's choice. What's up? I was about to go and catch some z's."  
"Well, I thought you might want to hear it, since I was talking a lot with Sakura the last days..."  
"Genma... spit it out already. I'm worn out." He mumbled into the pillow he was lying on.  
"Oh man, you're so ruining the mood I was trying to build up."  
Kakashi turned his head and shot him a death glare with his blood-shot eye.  
"Ok, ok... you convinced me." He said quickly. "Sakura truly has it for you. I'd say she's long since over the point of just having a little crush."  
"You're guessing." Kakashi mumbled and fought a yawn.  
"Nope, I was reading. You were right as you said one can read in her eyes. Each time I brought your name into a conversation she seemed to opt out. As I told her you're home – don't give me that look, she would've found out either way – her eyes seemed to glow. But I guess you can talk to her yourself this evening. I would bet my ass that she shows up with some dinner. Well... I see you need to sleep, silver head. See you around." With an impish grin he turned round and left, leaving a confused Kakashi behind.

Despite the fact that his mind was busy with thoughts about her it didn't take him long to fall asleep. He slept peaceful with Sakura as a steady part of his dreams like he had for quite a while now. She was smiling at him, trying to get him to move his feet but he simply was too lazy... and too clumsy. Even though a part of him knew it was just a dream it made another part of him nervous. She laughed and called for him to stand up...  
It was when he woke up and wasn't sure whether he was still sleeping or awake. It took him a few seconds to realize that he truly was awake and that there was someone truly knocking at his door calling his name.  
"Kakashi? Are you there?"  
"Yeah... second please." He mumbled and sat up, rubbing his face and finger-combing his hair, before he stood up and went to the door.  
"Sorry... did I wake you?" Sakura asked and looked a little worried.  
"Yeah, but never mind. I guess I would've woken in a few either way."  
"Genma told me you returned today and that you were tired... well..." she stumbled and blushed a little. "I thought that you might want to go out for dinner... that is, if you haven't bought anything until now."  
"No, I haven't. And yes, I'd like to." He said and smiled at her, which caused the blush to deepen.

He took his wallet and his keys and then closed the door behind himself.  
"You look tired too, Sakura." He said as they stepped out on the street and he shoved his hands into his pockets.  
"I am, a bit. Tsunade had buried Shizune and me in work, and the training with Genma is taking its toll too."  
"How was it? The training." he said and smiled down at her.  
"Don't ask." She mumbled and looked at the ground before her feet, another blush creeping up her cheeks.  
"I felt as stupid and lame as I had been in my Genin days. The first week my body screamed with pain, but since two days it's back to normal."  
"So you are back to old forces?" he said and snickered, which caused her to smile.  
"So to speak, yes."  
"It seems that I've returned to the right time."  
"You can say that out loud." She mumbled to herself, not knowing that he actually caught it.

"Where do you want to go? Ichiraku?" he asked after a while.  
"Uh... I was thinking about Shushu-ya's, if you don't mind?"  
"That's pretty ok to me." He said and smiled again. Around her it was so easy, so natural, like breathing.  
Sakura smiled back and was relieved that he was content with her choice. At Ichiraku it was likely that they bumped into Naruto, and even though she truly liked the blonde man, he was the last one she wanted to meet this evening. And at Shushu-ya's they had little booths too, which meant that they had at least a little privacy. She knew it was selfish, but she had missed him so badly that she wanted to spend some time with him without being disturbed.  
Kakashi smiled inwardly, Shushu-ya would have been his choice of location too, and seeing that she thought the same somehow soothed him.

They found an empty booth and sat down, taking up the menu and looking for their orders. After they had placed them Sakura looked at him expectant.  
"So... how was the mission?" she asked him as the waiter brought them some tea.  
"Mah... quite busy. Why do you ask?"  
"Well, you were supposed to send a message, but you didn't. I was... worried that something could've happened."  
"It's nothing unusual." He said, half heartedly defending himself.  
"Nothing unusual? That you turn in your reports late, that is nothing unusual." She said and frowned at him.  
"We were fine, we just hadn't enough time to write something down and get it sent home. We were chasing all the time."  
"That's not truly an excuse, you know." She said and looked at him, relief mixing with worry and anger. He looked at her, mildly curious.  
"Don't give me that look Kakashi." She said silently. "You should know that we care..."  
"We?" he asked and grinned smugly, being glad that the waiter brought their orders.  
"Well..." she mumbled and inspected her food. "I care. And you should actually know that."

He smiled to himself, wanting to tell her something nice but couldn't find suiting words without feeling ridiculous. So he decided to stay silent and concentrate on his meal. Sakura sighed inwardly, she could feel that he felt comfortable around her but was it enough? Was it enough to risk telling him how she felt? Ino once said: clarity is better than uncertainty. But she was too much a chicken to do that. She kept her eyes on her plate to leave him his peace to eat. As he was finished he leant back and watched her closely. He could see that she was thinking hardly about something, but didn't dare to ask. He frowned at himself. Since when did he bother what other people thought about him? Well... Sakura wasn't 'other people', no, she was... special.  
"So, what did you do? Except training." he asked her as she was finished.  
"Not much. Mostly sleeping. Genma kept me busy in order to get fit and Tsunade kept me busy so she could stay lazy. I had two weeks double shift, I nearly collapsed on my couch each evening, but as soon as I reached home Genma stood in front of my door, grinning and fetching me for another training session. I was short from killing him, but I highly doubt that I could've mustered up the strength."

Kakashi snickered. "Poor thing." he said and laughed slightly as she put on a little pout.  
"But you did it." He stated and winked at her.  
"Yeah." She smiled. "And that taught me a lesson. I will never neglect my training like that again."  
"Hear ye!" he laughed. "I vow to you that I will remember you."  
"Very funny." She snorted and rolled her eyes. "But I'll take you up on that."  
"I hope so." He said and grinned at her.  
"You know what's strange?" she asked.  
"Enlighten me please."  
"You behave completely normal. Not the tiniest bit anti-social."  
"Maybe that's because of you?" he suggested and smiled at the confused and amazed face she made. She blushed and looked away, murmuring a "thanks" which touched his heart in a way he never thought possible.  
Against his complaints Sakura paid the bill and refused to accept the money he wanted to give her.  
"You paid as we were out drinking something, remember?" she said as they left.  
"I don't think it's... appropriate for you to pay for me." He mumbled.  
"Don't be silly. You're not someone to be so... old fashioned."  
"Sometimes it's not bad to be old fashioned." He defended himself as they stepped out on in the night.

"I agree with you. But since you are... sort of timeless... it doesn't suit you." She said and was glad, that it was dark enough so he won't see the blush that made her cheeks burn.  
"Timeless?" he asked her, curiosity colouring his voice as he looked down at her.  
"You heard me right." She said. "You don't show any signs of aging, unlike the rest of your age-group."  
"Just because you don't see the gray hair... and I have no need to dye it." He snickered.  
"Stop making fun of me. I was serious. And your hair is not what I'm referring to."  
"Is that so?" he asked, now truly curious. "So, to what were you referring?"  
"You're not going to let go, are you?" She mumbled.  
"Nope. I'm afraid you made me curious. And I can be as persistent as you when I want to know something."  
She snickered and stopped, since they had reached their street.  
"Well, I was referring to the fact that you still move as fast and smooth as you had years ago."

"Shall I take that as a compliment?" he said, looking serious.  
"Take that as you like, it's the truth."  
"You astonish me." He said and smiled lightly. "You make compliments, you treat me to dinner... not that I mind, but why?"  
"Well... um... I... I think that it never hurts to hear nice words, and since you just returned from a mission I thought..."  
"You don't have to justify yourself. I like those nice words, but I like the time spent with you even more. As long as it's not going to become a habit for you to pay for me. " He said silently, making a step towards her and closing the distance.  
"Um..." She mumbled, her heartbeat speeding up due to his closeness. "I... thought it would be fair to treat you to dinner..."  
"Fair?" he said silently. "You did more for me than anyone else..." He bowed down, hooked one Finger under his mask and slowly pulled it down. Her breath became shallow and her eyes followed his mask sliding down, slowly revealing what lies underneath. She wanted to kiss him, wanted to taste him and he seemed to want the same. He nearly had his mask down completely as a scream interrupted them.  
"FOREHEAD!"

Quickly he pulled the mask up again, but remained where he was without withdrawing. Sakura exhaled audible and tried to suppress a disappointed growl. Kakashi snickered silently.  
"That Pig surely has nerves..." she grumbled and he snickered again.  
"Remember where we left off..." he said silently and then walked casually over to his house, while Sakura stood there, watching him flabbergasted. She could swear that he winked towards her before he entered his apartment building. Slowly a smile crept on her lips while warmth spread in her heart. As soon as Ino approached her disappointment came back to the surface and she growled at her blonde friend.  
"Ino, grace is god if you have no valid reason to disturb me."  
"Tsunade sent me, she wanted me to bring you this." She said and handed her over a scroll. Sakura unrolled it and read it, rumpling it as she had finished reading.  
"Ino... that could've waited until tomorrow. That is so unimportant. Because of you I..." She stopped herself and tried to calm down.  
"Because of me what?"  
"Simply forget it." She turned round and entered her apartment building, slowly heading up to her flat. She threw the rumpled scroll onto her couch and went into the kitchen. Heaving a frustrated sigh and looked out on the street, where Ino still stood. A shy smile made its way onto her lips as she glanced over to his living room window.


	19. Chapter 19

Hello everybody!  
I am sooo sorry that I kept you waiting so long, but this time I have a true excuse: my own wedding. It truly was a lot of stress, but it was a lot of fun as well. Never in my life had I such a good time. I hope you're not mad.

Anyways... I hope this chapter makes it up.  
I thought about polishing up my languages, so I started to re-read all my French stuff – no worry, I won't post anything in French – but I think my English could be better as well.  
So I have a little request: Is there any native-speaker who would be so kind and correct my English? If there is, PLEASE send me a PM. I don't want anything with mistakes.

But I'm holding you up, enough talk already. Enjoy :3

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?" he mumbled to himself as he closed the door behind himself and walked into the living room. He hit himself several times against his forehead.  
"Stupid old man... stupid old man. Remember where we left off... How could I..." He stopped next to his couch and looked out on the street. He heard the short conversation between the two women and snickered as he saw Sakura walking away, leaving a completely confused Ino behind. Only a short moment, before he turned away, he saw Sakura in her kitchen and he saw how she smiled at him. Immediately he knew how he could do what he had done, for that smile went straight to his heart.  
"Admit it, buddy, you're head over heels." He mumbled to himself and let himself fall down on his couch. A little voice in his head told him, that it was against the morals to hit on your student, but he ignored it. And since Sakura makes it clear whenever he tried to point it out: she wasn't his student any more. He lay there on his couch, looking at the ceiling and thought about the evening. He truly wanted to kiss her, but not with Ino watching. The fact that she wanted it as well let him smile and with that smile he went to bed.  
Sakura still stood in her kitchen, her hip leant against the table and her arms crossed in front of her chest. As she thought about how near he had been she shivered, and closed her eyes while goosebumps rose on her arms. Damn Ino! She sighed and smiled as she remembered his promise, because he couldn't have meant different. With a last glance out of the window she turned and went to bed.

The next day she woke up with a smile on her lips. She couldn't remember the dreams she had, but she felt great. Until she was leaving on the mission with Kakashi she had holidays, so there was no need to hurry anything. She turned in her bed and inhaled the scent he had left on her pillow, since it was still lingering a bit. After a few more minutes she sat up and sighed. Damn Ino, she could've told her that today... or tomorrow... on her regular days off. But that had been so typically her blonde friend, always appearing at the wrong time.  
Still wearing her light green nightgown she went into her kitchen and set the kettle on the stove. Sakura was so absorbed with the good mood, the sunny day and everything so that she didn't notice that someone was watching her.

Kakashi had woken up quite early and was unable to go back to sleep. He tried to read, but his thoughts only circled round Sakura. The way she had moved, laughed, looked and smelled. Oh how he ached to know how she tastes!  
He sat on his couch and stared at the wall in his living room, looking at the newly arranged pictures without truly seeing them. Not at any time after his father's death he had imagined that someone could slip past his inner walls, but she managed it and had reached his heart without him realizing. After a while he got up and decided to drink some coffee and went into his kitchen. As he looked out of his window he saw her, wearing a green-nearly-nothing and nearly choked on his coffee.  
The sun shone into her kitchen, illuminating her in a wonderful way. He leant himself against the counter, coffee cup still in his hand and watched her. Again it hit him what a beautiful woman she had become. He sighed inwardly and smiled how _his_ Sakura had changed.  
Over the night he had mused how far he would've gone, but came to no answer.

He sighed and watched her having her breakfast before he put his mug in the sink and went into the bathroom to shave. As he stood there and looked in the mirror he was surprised. He looked so... alive. Over the years he became used to the emotionless and dead looking expression on his face that he was astonished to see how he looked now.  
Afterwards he went back into the kitchen, rummaging in his fridge for something to eat but he couldn't find anything. Grumbling he got dressed and left to do his grocers.

He left his apartment building with his hands in his pockets and headed for the store. Kakashi was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that Genma tried to catch his attention since he left his street.  
"Yo man! Are you ignoring me on purpose, or what?" Genma nearly whined and finally he turned his head.  
"Yo." He replied and grinned sheepishly under his mask. "What's up?"  
"I was trying to ask you the same for quite a while now."  
Kakashi simply cocked a brow at him and Genma nodded curtly.  
"Don't give me that look. I'm following you since you've left your apartment but you're ignoring me!"  
"I am?" the silver haired man asked and looked at his friend. "No..."  
"Of course you do! I'm dying of curiosity and you're simply not feeding my needs."  
"Stop that, idiot." Kakashi snorted and then he grinned to himself.  
"So... you want news, right?" he asked friendly and Genma nodded, even though he had the foreboding feeling that Kakashi was heading for something.  
"You get your news. Trade breakfast for news."

Genma looked at his friend and didn't know whether he should laugh or cry, but his curiosity was driving him nuts so he quickly nodded and followed his friend to a little cookshop in a side street.  
"So... what happened? Did she bring you dinner?" he asked after Kakashi had eaten his breakfast.  
"Nope. Actually she invited me out. Not like a formal date, but something similar... I'd say."  
"And? Jumped her bones?"  
"Want me to kill you right away or later?" the silver haired man grumbled dangerously low.  
"How about... never? Come on... tell me already!"  
"You're such a pain in the ass you know..."  
"Kakashi..."  
"Give it a rest. Nothing happened."  
Genma openly gaped at him. "You're kidding me... tell me that you're kidding me."  
"Nope, I'm not. I was about to kiss her, but then Ino showed up and screwed it."

Confused Genma looked at him and even took the Senbon out of his mouth.  
"What do you mean with 'screwed'?"  
"Sometimes I seriously think you are an idiot... she ran up the street, calling for Sakura. So I saved her the embarrassing explanations and left."  
"But you're not letting go, are you?"  
Kakashi just looked at him and Genma grinned. "Alright. What are you going to do?"  
"I have no idea. Not yet. But right now I have to do my grocers. Thanks for breakfast."  
Without any more words he left and disappeared in the crowd.

The whole day he thought about something, a reason or just anything to drop by, but he couldn't find one. Frustrated he knocked his head lightly against the doorframe of his living room. Making out never had been a problem for him. But this was different. Sakura was different. And never before his heart had been involved, only his physical needs.  
Frustrated he plopped down on his couch. Why the heck have things to be so complicated?  
As it was getting dark he decided to go for a little walk. As soon as he stepped out on the street he heard Sakura rummaging and cursing in her apartment. Obviously she was looking for something. And fate had mercy with him. In a flowerbox in the ground floor he saw something glittering and identified it as one of her earrings. With a sly smile he took it and entered her apartment building. So heaven sent him a reason to see her, and he wouldn't allow anyone to screw it again.

Sakura cursed herself for her clumsiness. Tenten had asked her, if she could borrow her 'glamour-earrings' as she called them, and now she could only find one. She knew that she had taken them both out of her jewel box, but she wasn't sure if it was before she had watered her flowers or afterwards. She had already searched in her sleeping room and now she was on all fours in her kitchen. As it knocked at her door she nearly jumped and hit her head hard at the kitchen table. Wincing she got up and went to answer the door, while she rubbed the acing spot on her head.  
As she opened the door and saw him leaning lazily against the doorframe she blushed a little and smiled.  
"Hi... what are you doing here?"  
"Right now I'm leaning against your doorframe."  
She snorted and made a step aside to let him in. "Don't tell me things that are obvious."  
"You have asked."  
"I know. Come in. Or have you planned on standing in the staircase all evening?"  
"Nope, I haven't."

He entered and Sakura closed the door behind him.  
"Have a seat, I'll be there in a few." She said and went straight back into the kitchen. Kakashi followed her and leant against a counter, while she continued her search.  
"What have you planned for your evening?" he asked her casually and watched her with a smirk.  
"Actually I had planned on watching one of my favourite movies, hug a pillow while watching and cry through half a box of Kleenex."  
"And what are you doing now? New sport?"  
"Funny Kakashi. Tenten had asked me if I'd borrow her a pair of my best earrings. She has anniversary date with Neji tomorrow. I said yes but now it seems I lost one. And I know that I had both of them."  
"Say... does that earring you're looking for, by any chance, look like that?" he asked innocently and held the earring out on his flat hand. Sakura turned round and her eyes grew wide.  
"Kakashi! You're great! You found it!" she grabbed it and shortly hugged him. "Where have you found it?"  
"In the flowerbox in the ground floor."  
She heaved a relieved sigh and brushed past him to put it into a small box on her nightstand.

"Have you planned anything special for this evening?" she called out of her sleeping room and he had to bite hard on his tongue not to say what he was thinking right then.  
"Nothing special. The usual..." he answered instead as she came back.  
"If you want to stay..." she said and grinned sheepishly, while she gestured towards the living room. Kakashi snickered and followed her offer. She had already cooked tea and now fetched a second mug, before she put in the video and plopped down on the couch next to him. Kakashi nestled himself on the couch the teacup in his reach and watched her. Sakura pressed play on the remote control and then grabbed a big pillow and then nestled herself near to him.

During the film she came nearer and after the first half was over she leant against him. It was hard for him to concentrate on the film, with her smell so near and tempting, not that he minded.  
"Why do you watch such sob stuff?" he asked after a while.  
"Nani?" She asked confused and turned her head a little, so she could look at him.  
"You got me quite right. Why do you watch such a farce? That guy is a complete idiot, but the woman is not better either."  
"What? She's upset because he treated her like that."  
"That's my point! He cheated on her, three times, she caught him red handed and is now acting like a drama queen. I mean... why not shouting at him, calling him names and then throwing him out while dating that other guy?"  
"Well... he _is _sorry." She pointed out. "And they fit together."  
"Pff, rubbish. He says he's sorry. Have you heard him splitting with his 'flirt'? He just wants to keep his place in a warm bed. But look at that other guy. He made dinner for her, wrote poems and everything. He's there for her, he truly cares. They would fit together as well, and even better."  
"Hmm... I haven't looked at it this way. But it's interesting to see what you're thinking about things like that."  
"Well... I'm reading Icha Icha. It's not only hentai."  
"Pff... It is hentai, say what you want. What would you do?"  
"Nani?" Now it was him to look confused.  
"What would you do if you'd be caught red handed?"  
"Nothing." He stated and snorted at the conversation on the screen.  
"What... nothing?"  
"Nothing. Because I wouldn't cheat. Either everything is ok, than there's no need to cheat, or there are too big differences, then it's better to split up."  
"Wow... I'd never expected that."

They watched the rest of the movie, while they more commented on it, so she didn't need the Kleenex. It was long past midnight and they had already watched the film twice as he finally sat up.  
"Well... I better get going. It's already late."  
Sakura fought hard to hide a yawn but got up with him.  
"Either way, thank you for finding my earring and for the interesting conversation. Who knew that the famous copy Nin could be so... romantic."  
"I have many qualities, you'd be astonished." He said and put on his sandals while Sakura leant against her wardrobe, the arms crossed in front of her chest and an amused smile on her lips.  
"You already astonished me. And you keep doing it. It's just... one can't guess that you have such sides."  
He stood up and then bowed a bit down towards her.  
"This is intentional. But if I'm inspired by such a wonderful person like you..."  
He let the sentence unfinished and stayed where he was, while he studied her expression. A light blush coloured her cheeks and touched his heart.  
"T-Thank you..." she stuttered.  
"No need to thank me..." he mumbled and caught her gaze. He knew that this was the chance he was waiting for, and hooked his right index under the seam of his mask.

Sakura felt her heartbeat speeding up as her eyes followed the cloth on its way down. As he reached the spot where Ino had disturbed them she caught her breath, inwardly waiting if someone would disturb them again... but nothing happened.  
The mask continued its way down, until it released his full face. She simply gazed. Her inner self made a victory dance, screamed and jumped and sang. She couldn't believe it, after all these years she was finally able to see his full face, completely voluntarily, without any tricks. She knew it was rude and idiotic to stare, but she couldn't help herself. She couldn't tell how often she and Naruto had guessed how he would look like; the only thing she knew now was that he looked better than any male she had seen. Her lung was demanding for air, but she didn't react.  
He fought hard not to snicker due to her reaction. A long way back Kakashi had learned that sometimes it was better to remain still and silent. But right now the only thing he had in mind was to kiss her, to finally taste her. Slowly he took her face in his hands, and as soon as he touched her cheeks she sucked in a sharp breath, finally giving her body the oxygen it needed.

She could feel his breath on her skin, shortly before she could feel how softly his lips pressed against hers. As the first surprise wore off and she relaxed, he allowed his tongue to lightly slip over her lips, teasing her, nearly as if he would ask for permission. Sakura laid her arms around his neck, pulled him a bit closer and then allowed his tongue in.  
He wanted to start slow, but Sakura intensified the kiss quickly. He tasted better than he smelled, which she never thought would be possible. Kakashi had to stop the kiss as his groin started to react on her feminine scent and taste. Slowly he broke the kiss and straightened up while Sakura let her fingers lightly trace over his cheek.  
"Good night, Sakura. Sleep well." He mumbled, while he opened the door and pulled his mask back up.  
"N-night..." she stuttered and watched him leaving, standing like she was rooted to the floor. The light in the staircase was long out before she closed the door and went straight into her bed. She let herself fall onto it and looked out of the window.  
"If you'd know what you're doing to me..." she mumbled silently, not knowing that he said exactly the same, while he leant with his back against his apartment door.


	20. Chapter 20

And another chapter done. Please take that as an apology for keeping you waiting so long.  
Anyway... The longer I write on that story, the more those two belong together. I truly think that they would fit together perfectly.

I know that this chapter will be full of mistakes – like the ones before – but I can't help it. Like I said the last time: I'd be happy if I'd find somebody who would be my beta for this story.

* * *

How often she had licked her lips she didn't know, but some when she fell asleep. In the morning she woke up with a start, due to a permanent knocking at her door. She jumped out of the bed and hastily went to the door, yanking it open with an annoyed twitch of her brow. Tenten froze in motion and blinked at her, startled.  
"G-good morning Sakura..." she stuttered and looked at her wide eyed.  
"Oh... Tenten... sorry. Come in."  
Quickly she slipped out of her shoes and followed her friend into the kitchen.  
"You were still fast asleep, were you?" she asked the pink haired woman and earned a snorting sound.  
"Better let me make the tea, you're putting the leaves in a vase. Sheesh Sakura... did you hit your head or what?"  
"No." Sakura said and sat down on the next kitchen chair.  
Tenten eyed her suspiciously and put the kettle on the stove.  
"Something is odd." She said and crossed her arms in front of her chest and leant herself against the counter.  
"You look like you've slept in your clothes, and you're definitely not yourself." And then something dawned her and her eyes grew wide.  
"You did... did you?" she asked and a sly smile made its way on Sakura's lips.

"KYAA!" Tenten squeaked and grabbed the chair next to her friend.  
"Tell me, tell me, tell me! Come on, come on, come on! What happened? Gimme the details! All of them! The juicier the better!" she giggled and fought hard not to poke her.  
Sakura chuckled and then looked in her friends' eyes, her own shining brightly.  
"He had been here yesterday. He found the earring I was missing... OH Sugar! The earrings!" she jumped up and hurried into her sleeping room, fetching the box with said items and then came back into the kitchen.  
"Here. Well, I lost one and he found it. We watched my favourite sob 'n' snot video, like Naruto calls it... yeah, and we already watched it twice! He started to comment on the movie, telling me how ridiculous it is – and even if I hate it, he's right – and yeah... round three he left... but before he left, we kissed."  
Tenten sat there, blinked and gazed at her. "Why the heck do I sense a 'finally' here?"  
"Because you know me." Sakura groaned and clapped her hands over her face.  
"What had happened? He just returned two days ago. Neji said he was tired as hell..."  
"Yeah, so he seemed. Well, Genma told me that he was back home, and I thought that he might have nothing to eat, because he doesn't seem to be the guy who does his grocers first. So I dropped by and asked him out for dinner. Not a formal date, but we went to Shushu-ya's and had a nice time. We complimented each other and yeah... as we reached our street and were nearly standing in front of our doors, he nearly kissed me. The mask was halfway down... and then... stupid Ino came along. Shouting my name and then he left."

The dark haired Kunoichi made a howling sound that would leave every dog green with envy and slapped a hand over her eyes.  
"Why does our Blondie always show up at the wrong moments? But wait... that means you've seen his face! Tell me, how does he look like?"  
"Hawt! I haven't seen anyone _that_ gorgeous _ever_! I swear, it has to be illegal to look _that_ good."  
"Wow... well, Neji already told me that he looked good."  
"Just 'good'?"  
"Sakura... he's a guy... and straight. What have you expected?"  
"Wait... how could he tell?"  
"Byakugan? Remember? Hyuga? Ring a bell?"  
"Why have we never thought about asking Hina if she could risk an eye?"  
"Maybe she just would've fainted? But you know... no man can ever be of interest for her. Only Naruto counts."  
"I know. But I tell you, it was hard to let him go."  
"Then why did you let him go?"  
"Dunno... he said it was about time to go."  
"Oy, Sakura... come on! You've read enough of those slushy novels, you should've known that this is the point where to woman has to stop the man."  
"Tenten... I don't know if it is wise to rush. I mean... heck, it's been a while since I had a man, but it's Kakashi for heaven's sake! He's... too... important for me."  
"I know what you mean." She sighed and handed Sakura a cup of tea. "Take your time."  
"You know what truly bothers me?"  
"Shoot."  
"I'd like to go over, tear down that stupid mask and just look at him for the rest of the day."

Laughing Tenten leant back in the chair.  
"Then why don't you do it?"  
"Get real. He'd think that I'm crazy or something."  
"Sakura... that man knows you best in whole Konoha. I think he's the last one who would think you're crazy. But you have a point. It's just... wow."  
"Wow is a good description. Let's see where this is heading to."  
"Here's to a good future." Tenten said and lifted her cup, Sakura mimicked her and smiled.

Again a knock against her door disturbed her. With a questioningly look on her face she left the kitchen and answered the door.  
"Shikamaru?" she asked surprised.  
"E... ohayo. Sorry that I disturb you, but Tsunade wants to see us. I already had been at Kakashi's." He wore an even more bored expression than usually. Tenten looked out of the kitchen and grinned.  
"Good morning Shikamaru! Ne, Sakura, thank you for the earrings. I'll bring them back tomorrow."  
"Yeah... it's ok. No need to hurry."  
A little confused she put on her shoes and followed her two friends down on the street.  
"See you, nice day!" Tenten waved and headed in the opposite direction.  
"Any idea what she wants?" Sakura asked as they walked up towards the tower.  
"I guess it's because of the mission you and Kakashi were assigned to. I heard Shizune mumbling something about 'wasting resources'. I think they're going to add on one more."

As they reached the tower Sakura sighed and mumbled silently "On into the fight or do you want to live forever..." and Shikamaru shortly snickered. As they reached the top floor with Tsunade's office they could hear her and Shizune debating.  
"I bet it's about her sake again." She murmured and he snorted.  
"Definitely."  
He curtly knocked and then entered the office, finding Shizune with a bright red face and Tsunade with a big pout.  
"You wanted to speak with us?" Shikamaru said, Tsunade stood up and Shizune took advantage and disappeared with the sake.  
"Yes. The mission you and Kakashi are assigned to will be extended. Naruto is meeting a group of salesman, who will be the cover for you, since it's going to be an undercover mission. The threatening letters changed into tangible attacks, two people are already dead. There's a big area to cover up, that's why I'll put Naruto and Shikamaru on the team as well. You'll leave tomorrow."  
"Nani?" Shikamaru asked and looked at her. "But the Chunin-exams..."  
"Shino will take care of them this time. I need you on that mission. Kakashi alone is not enough."  
"Did I hear my name?" like always the silver haired man appeared out of thin air and too late as well.  
"Yes, you did. You're the leader of the squad; I'll go through the details with you."  
Sakura and Shikamaru took that as a 'dismissed' and left.

Shikamaru mumbled something she didn't understand, said 'bye' and headed home. Sakura sighed and looked up to the sky, blinking into the sun. Only one day left before she had to leave. Not enough time to relax, but better than nothing. She quickly went home, changed into a pair of short pants and a sleeveless blouse and then headed for a quiet place to catch a bit sun and simply do nothing.  
Twenty minutes later she finally found a suiting place and sat down under a tree. She made herself comfortable and looked up into the leaves, watching the shadows change every now and then. She and Ino have found that place three years ago, a nice little space between two training grounds and quite perfect if you want to be alone. She felt sleepy and after a while she drifted off into daydreaming and then fell asleep.  
As she woke up the sun was already going down. She snickered to herself, it had been a while since she had been that lazy, but now she was hungry. Sakura blinked and looked up into the tree. Was she still dreaming? One shadow looked like Kakashi...

"Yo." He greeted and landed next to her. "A good hideout." He said and looked down on her, an amused smile on his face.  
"Yes. I'm afraid I'd have to kill you if you tell anybody." She grinned and winked at him.  
"At least it would be quite entertaining to see how you try."  
"Did you come here to mock me or what?" she snorted and rubbed her eyes.  
"Nope." He silently snickered and held out a bento box to her. "I haven't seen you home, and I thought you might be hungry."  
"Oh, that's nice. Thanks." She smiled at him and he sat down next to her.  
"Shikamaru seemed a bit... taken aback that he was put on the mission with us." She said as she opened the box. "Oy! Sushi! My favourites!"  
'Not only him.' He thought. "Good, I hoped I'd remember them right."  
"Like you'd forget anything." She snickered and started to eat.  
He smiled and leant his back against the tree.  
"You know Shikamaru. And even if he doesn't admit it, he likes it to take care of the exams." He said and looked up to the sky.  
"Hmm." Sakura made and nodded.

While she was eating he remained silent, he didn't know what to say without feeling stupid. After she had finished and put the empty box aside she turned and looked at him. Questioningly he arched a brow and she smiled and slightly shook her head, but kept looking at him.  
"You know... it's a bit... strange, if you look at me like that." He said after a while.  
"I'm just wondering... you know... how the mimic of your whole face looks like."  
He snickered and she smiled shyly.  
"That is... if you don't mind... I mean..."  
"You've seen me before, so why not?" he snickered and she blushed a bit.  
"Um... may I?" she asked silently and he nodded.  
"Of course. Go ahead." He said and leaned a bit towards her.  
She quickly wiped her hands on her trousers and shortly hesitated, before she carefully pushed up his hitai-ate. For a moment the Sharingan confused her, but then she shook her head and continued with the mask. As the cloth finally hung around his neck she froze. He looked as hot as that night.

"Don't forget to breathe." He said and she seemed to wake up.  
"Um... yeah. Would be unhealthy. It's just... wow."  
"What is wow?"  
"You!" she said and rolled her eyes, which caused him to grin and her to gawk. "Please tell me you wear that mask that people don't gawk at you like I do right now..."  
"That hasn't been the first intention, but I have to admit it's a good by-product."  
"Hmm... That's true..." she said slowly without looking away. "Oh man... how we died to know how you look like..."  
"We?" he asked innocently.  
"Stop that. You know what and who I mean. You know that we tried so many things to sneak a peek..."  
"Now that you mention it..."  
"Kakashi... are you going to show Naruto your face as well?"  
"Someday..."  
She grinned like the little girl she once had been. "Fine. I'll keep it a secret."

She turned a bit so it was easier for her to look at him. A light smile made its way onto her lips and he looked at her curiously.  
"What?"  
"Nothing. I simply could sit here and look at you for the next hours."  
"Just look?" he asked with an impish grin and she blushed deeply.  
"Joker..." she mumbled. 'Eat you alive sounds like a good idea to me...'  
"Anything you planned to add to that sentence?" he asked slyly.  
"You would like that, wouldn't you?" she asked back and snickered.  
"I'd guess I'd like other things more."  
"Like?"  
"Like continuing what we started?" he asked and leaned in closer. Shortly she looked at his lips, those perfect and kissable lips, before she looked back into his eyes.  
"Sounds... like a good idea to me..." she mumbled and closed the little remaining distance, until their noses touched lightly.  
"Good to hear that." He whispered against her lips before he captured them with his.

He let his tongue lightly dance over her lips, teasing her. Willingly she parted them, allowing him to slip his tongue into her mouth. His taste was intoxicating; she doubted that she could ever get enough of this. Sakura changed her position lightly, so she had both of her hands free. She let them wander up his arms before she crossed her arms behind his neck, pulling him closer. As his lungs needed fresh air he slowly broke the kiss, playfully biting her lower lip before he completely gave her mouth free.  
"You're tasting delicious." He mumbled against her cheek.  
"You're the one to talk..."  
"I take it you like it?"  
"You betcha..." she mumbled and he snickered. "Makes me want more..."  
No need to tell him twice. He pulled her close and took possession of her mouth once more. This time the kiss was more heated, more demanding, from both sides. Sakura combed her fingers through his hair and pressed herself against him, while he grabbed her at her hips and pulled her close as well. He let his fingers explore her back and as they made their way under her blouse she hummed in approval. Slowly they wandered upwards and nearly reached her breasts, but then...

"FOREHEAD!"  
Sakura pulled back with a frustrated grunt.  
"Ignore her?" he asked hoarsely.  
"Not an option. She knows I'm here. That's a spot we found... that's the second time... a third time and I'm going to kill her."  
He lightly winced as he shifted his weight. "I'd happily assist you..." he mumbled and stood up. Sakura saw what he meant and cursed under her breath. Gladly it was already getting dark and it was easier for both of them to hide the flushed faces.  
Ino was stomping towards them and Sakura could literally smell her anger and heaved a sigh.  
"You better get going... this is taking longer."  
"Hmm... See you tomorrow then." He silently said, disappointment colouring his voice.  
"Yeah. Good night, Kakashi."  
"Night." With a 'poof' he was gone.

He could hear Ino's angry shouting pretty far and pitied Sakura that she had ho hear that all through. Ino was ranting and shouting her whole frustration about the mission screwing her weekend plans, the party and everything she had thought about and wanted to do with Shikamaru. She didn't even pause long enough to give Sakura a chance to tell her, that it's not her fault because Tsunade had decided to put him on the squad.  
Half an hour later Sakura finally snapped and barked back. He heard her shouting that she should shut up and go to the responsible person if she has a problem with that decision and that she was the one to talk when it came to screwing up plans of others. As Ino remained silent he fought hard not to laugh out loud, but he knew that even if he would wait in front of Sakura's door that she wouldn't be in any mood to continue what they had started. Damn mission... now he would have to wait until they were back home.


	21. Chapter 21

And another chapter, this time with beta. :3  
Thank you y-in-flame for helping me. :)  
Please enjoy!

* * *

Angry, Sakura slammed the door and flung herself on the couch, screaming into a pillow. After working it all out of her system, she felt better and only a few moments later, she felt bad. It wasn't fair to shout at Ino like that, especially not when she was as clueless about the situation as Sakura had been. What made her feel even worse was that she knew perfectly how Ino felt.  
She sighed and sat up. Right now Ino wouldn't be in the mood to listen to her and tomorrow she was leaving.  
"First thing to do when I'm back: let Ino in on everything," she told herself and rubbed her head. The least thing she needed was another shout-out with Ino.  
"Oh man, damn me and my conscience." She mumbled and stood up, quickly writing Ino a short message.  
'Sorry I overreacted. Don't be mad at me please, I know I can be a bitch. I'll explain everything when I'm back home. Promise. Forehead'  
Again, she sighed and went to have a shower before she went to bed.

She woke before her alarm rang and got up. After a quick breakfast she packed the rest of her stuff and then left the house. She walked past Ino's flat and pinned the note to her door.  
As the main gate came into sight, she had to smile and shake her head. The small group of salesman was standing in the middle of the gateway, looking around curiously. But it wasn't them who caused her to smile, like always it was Naruto. He and Shikamaru were standing a little aside, and the blonde was talking nonstop.  
She walked past the salesman, greeting them friendly and then stopped next to her two team members.

"Ohayo." She smiled and Naruto beamed at her.  
"Sakura-chan! Isn't that great! We're on a mission! Together!"  
"Naruto... this is supposed to be an undercover mission. So keep quiet." She hushed him.  
"I've already told him the same." Shikamaru sighed. "We can be glad that he managed to wear inconspicuous clothes and leave his hitai-ate at home..."  
"Yeah... by the way, you two look good."  
Shikamaru mumbled a low 'thanks' and Naruto blushed and looked to the ground.  
"Hinata-chan put them out for me."  
Sakura snickered and put her backpack down. "She truly has a good taste."  
He grinned widely at her and nodded. "Yeah, she has."  
"I wonder when we're gonna leave. We're supposed to be on the road by ten o'clock." Shikamaru yawned.

"He's always late... I wonder why that is..." Naruto mumbled and kicked away a small stone.  
'_If you knew..._' Sakura thought and sighed inwardly. She knew the silver haired man well enough now to understand many of his habits.  
At quarter past ten Kakashi casually strolled over to the group. They had to look twice to be sure that it was truly him.  
He was rarely seen in civilian clothes, and nearly never without his headband. He showed just a tiny bit more of his face than usual, since he had an eye patch over his left eye and only a scarf covering the lower part of his face. Most of his scar could be seen.  
"You're nearly on time... are you ok?" Naruto asked with a grin.  
"Well... I can't let a lady wait, right?" he asked back and Sakura snickered.  
"Anyways, gentlemen, we're supposed to leave." She gestured towards the salesmen and then towards the gate.

Kakashi nodded and gave the sign to leave. The five men they were travelling with went over to their oxcarts and then they slowly left Konoha. Inwardly Sakura had to admit that even a mission like catching Tora would've been a welcomed request.  
"Oh man... if this is gonna be this slow the whole way, we'll never reach the mansion in time." Naruto whined.  
"Just keep your head on, Naruto. We're supposed to travel undercover, and that means to act 'normal'." Sakura stretched and rolled her eyes.  
"Normal people travel at this speed Naruto. If you rush things it won't help the mission." Shikamaru sighed and switched to the other side of the group.  
"I know... but you know me." The blonde grinned and they started laughing.  
The four days journey passed quite peaceful. Only once did they have to scare away some thugs. As they reached their designated village they left the salesmen and headed to the mansion of the daimyo.  
"I already don't like it here." Sakura mumbled as they walked up to the house."As soon as we accomplish our job, we're gone." Kakashi said and all three nodded.

"And don't forget your stories. Naruto and I are soldiers, Shikamaru is there for the financial transactions and Sakura is there to supervise the staff. Got me?"  
"Hai!"  
He nodded and they reached the door, where a servant already awaited them.  
"You are the new ones, right?" he asked, an arrogant undertone in his voice.  
"Yes, we are." Kakashi said coolly.  
"You kept my master waiting. I don't think I need to tell you that he dislikes that."  
"Then you had better bring us to him, or do you want to be the reason why we're even later?" Kakashi asked sweetly, his underlying threat palpable.

The servant coughed and bowed, before he motioned them to follow him. Sakura looked with a raised brow at Shikamaru who just shrugged indifferent. They walked after the servant, who guided them into the library where the daimyo was reading. One look at him was enough to gross out Sakura. He was a middle aged man, oily and slimy, clearly that type man that thinks himself the best, but obviously, was not.  
"Master, the new personal have _finally_ arrived."  
"Was about time, I hate..." he started and then looked up from the book he was reading. As he saw the pink haired kunoichi his face became too friendly.  
"I hate being rude. Good that you're here. Finally." He said and stood up, coming around the desk to smile at them, although it seemed more like a sneer than anything else.

With a wave of his hand he dismissed his servant and looked at them, at first friendly, then arrogant.  
"So, you're the shinobi the Godaime sent me, huh? An old man, two youngsters and a woman... a quite good looking one, if I may say..."  
"I beg your pardon." Kakashi said coldly. "You've paid for high class, we are high class."  
"We will see. I've lost two of my bodyguards already. They're getting more expensive to hire, do your job and find the attacker."  
"As fast as we can." Kakashi said and eyed the man. He didn't seem as innocent as he pretended to be.  
"Well, I'll take you up on that. Uyeda will show you your rooms and then you can start working. But if the young lady wants to spent some quality time..."  
"I'm here to work." Sakura said curtly. "I keep things professional."

Her team members fought hard not to laugh out loud, since the man's face was priceless. He quickly cleared his throat and rang a bell for his servant to come back.  
"Uyeda, show them their rooms."  
"As you wish." The servant murmured and bowed. Then he left, the four shinobi directly behind him, and walked over to the part of the house where the staff members were living.  
"Those are your rooms. Be on time for set meetings and never disturb him without a reason," he snapped and left them alone.  
"He's a snob, just ignore him." An elderly woman walked up the corridor towards them, glaring after the retreating servant.

"I'm Mai, and I'm the cook. If you need anything, just ask. That arrogant fart is enough to bear, so we stick together. Uyeda is the only one, who thinks he's better than the rest of us. Kitchen is down the floor, you'll always find something to eat. Just leave the stuff in the red marked fridge, it's the daimyo's special food. Alright?"  
"Yes ma'am." They all replied and the woman smiled at them.  
"That's the spirit. See you around, I must continue."  
They watched her walk away and as she had closed the door behind herself they entered their rooms and quickly scanned them. When they made sure that everything was 'clean', they met in Sakura's room for a quick meeting.

"Naruto and I will go see the surroundings. It's a big area and we better get to know it. You two will be in charge of the house. We'll cover up the garden as well. It seems the staff is not too fond of the daimyo, so better keep an eye on them. Whenever you find something, contact each other. Best thing to do will be, if we work in shifts. As soon as we know the surroundings we'll split. Got me?"  
Kakashi looked around at everyone, getting a nod from each one.  
"Yes sir!"  
"Fine. Anything else you want to know?"  
"Nope. I'm going to check out the forest." Naruto announced and left through the window.  
"I'll go and look through the mansion." Shikamaru said and left, his hands in his pockets. That left the two of them alone, both looking at the now closed door.  
"I neither like nor trust him." Sakura mumbled and then looked at Kakashi.  
"Neither do I. Keep an extra eye on him. I don't like the thought of having him around you."  
She snickered and looked at him. "That sounds nearly... jealous, you know."  
A short blush rushed over his visible cheek and he slightly shook his head.  
"I don't trust him. He's not the type of guy who accepts 'no' for an answer. I don't want you to get into trouble."  
Sakura laughed silently and fought the urge to hug him.  
"I'll be careful."  
"I expect that from you."  
"I'll go and talk a bit with Mai, maybe she knows something. Do we have another meeting?"

"Not within the next two days. Just let us know if you find out something interesting."  
"Hai." She replied and went to the door.  
"Um... Kakashi... I expect you to be careful as well." She grinned shyly at him and then left, leaving him with a smile on his scarfed face.  
'_Oh man... where's that leading to...?' _he asked himself, before he followed Naruto and summoned his dog pack as soon as he was out of sight.  
The next five days passed without anything happening. Just the usual. Sakura and Shikamaru knew every room by now, and every staff member. Uyeda had learned the hard way not to act snobby around Sakura and Mai was nuts about Shikamaru.

Sakura heaved a sigh and fled into the storage room, where she nearly bumped into Shikamaru.  
"Oh, sorry Shikamaru."  
"Hiding out?"  
"So to speak. You?"  
"Looking for something. To keep up the facade I had to look through his financial stuff. There's something odd, he has more money than he can make the legal way. Just look around the house, this is way too expensive for him."  
"I know what you mean. Mai said that once in a while there are some dubious persons visiting him. He never wants any staff member around, except Uyeda. I just thought it's one of his spleens... I tell you, that man pisses me off."  
"Man, it would be great to have Neji or Hinata here. The Byakugan would be such a help, but maybe Kakashi can see something odd. Can you go look for him? There's a meeting Kenta-san wants me around for."  
"Sure, I'll look for him. Mai said Kenta will be out of the house this evening, Naruto shall guard him, and then we'll have enough time to look through the house."  
"Better get going." He said and she left immediately.

She hoped she hadn't seemed too eager to go and meet up with Kakashi, but she hadn't seen him the last three days. They had the same shift, so they were on their feet at the same time. Shikamaru was almost finished with his day's shift and hers was about to begin.  
She just reached the forest as Pakkun leaped out of a bush. "Yo Sakura-chan."  
"Hey Pakkun, where's Kakashi?"  
"Somewhere in the woods."  
"I need to talk to him."  
"Yeah... c'mon." The pug darted away, Sakura right behind him.  
"Hey, Kakashi!" Pakkun called out and then came to a halt, sniffing the air. "He's here... see ya round, Sakura-chan."  
He left and shortly after Kakashi leaped out of a tree.

"Yo." He said and immediately she smiled at him.  
"Hi. I know your shift just started, but I bumped into Shikamaru. He found something odd. Kenta has more money than he could make the legal way. He has no rich family members and hasn't inherited anything."  
"So you mean he's into some illegal stuff?" Sakura nodded.  
"Shikamaru told me I should ask you if you could look through the house for anything strange. Maybe some trapdoor or something like that, since we have no one with the Byakugan around. Mai mentioned this morning that Kenta will leave the mansion this evening, joining some party. He's taking Uyeda to accompany him. We should send Naruto as his guard and to make sure he's not coming back and finds us sneaking around. But you're the leader, so it's your decision."

He looked at her and nodded.  
"That's a good idea. The sooner we're finished here, the better."  
"Yeah." She sighed and tiredly smiled at him. "You're so right."  
"Anything happened since our last meeting?" he sounded businesslike and she shook her head.  
"At least nothing mission-related. Mai is butter in Shikamaru's hands and I had a little fight with Uyeda, nearly breaking his snobby nose with one flick of my finger. Kenta is grossing me out, but you can imagine why."  
And how he could imagine why. He clenched his fists and fought the urge to growl before he took a deep breath to sooth himself. Sakura wasn't his, and she wasn't a kid anymore. She could mop the floor with that guy easily. Then why the heck did he feel that pinch of jealousy?

Sakura looked at him and smiled inwardly. She had missed him the last few days...  
_'Sheesh... get it out of your system. That would be easier to deal with_.' Her inner self sighed and shook her head. Sakura nearly snorted at that comment. She couldn't jump him, right?  
'_Well, you actually __**could**_...'  
She shook her head to chase away that thought and cleared her throat.  
"Are you going to tell Naruto or shall I?"  
"No need, I'll do it. So, where do we meet?"  
"At the delivery entrance. I'll be there." She said and then winked. "Try to be on time." She turned to leave when he snickered.  
"Sakura... I missed that." He wanted to add 'I missed _you' _but figured he had no right to tell her.  
"Yeah, me too." She replied and left with a smile.


	22. Chapter 22

And another one up :)

I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing. ;)

* * *

She cursed herself for being so stupid, so unable to tell him what she felt. Damn it! She somehow knew that he felt something for her, but if she kept on hedging around like that she'd never find out. This evening she would tell him... at least a bit. She had to know if there was a chance for more.

"Talk about stupid..." she mumbled to herself and stopped, slapping her hand over her face.

"How can I expect him to be on time when I haven't even told him when to show up?"

A little 'poof' caught her attention and Pakkun appeared next to her.

"Yo." He greeted and Sakura laughed. "Kakashi asks 'bout the time."

"Eight. Tell him I'm sorry. And I'm stupid."

The pug snorted and shook his head. "You humans are truly strange sometimes. But I'll tell him. See ya."

With that he disappeared again and she continued her way back to the house. Shikamaru waited for her in the kitchen.

"Met him?"

"Yeah. He agreed. Naruto is going to take care of the guarding and we'll see what we can find here."

"Good. I'll go and sleep a bit. Wake me up when it's time."  
Sakura nodded and then went into the library, looking if she could find some plans of the house. And to hide from Kenta, even though it felt childish.

After dinner she woke Shikamaru and then went to the delivery entrance to wait for Kakashi. It was getting dark already and the shadows stretched. She saw a familiar flash of yellow as Naruto rushed by and a smile made its way onto her lips. She just had the door closed as someone grabbed her by the arm and yanked her into the darkness, pressing her against the wall in the shadows. Immediately her training kicked into gear and she started to fight back, until she recognised him and relaxed.

"Damn it Kakashi... I nearly..." but she didn't get further. His lips found hers for a long kiss filled with need.

"You nearly what?" he asked silently as he broke the kiss.

"Hurt you." She finished her sentence and gave into the need of pulling him close and hugging him tightly.

First he seemed like frozen, but then he answered her embrace and silently sighed.

"I missed you." She mumbled against his vest and he smiled.

"Me too." He whispered back and she hugged him even tighter.

"We should go in." He said after a while. "Shikamaru must be waiting."

"Yes...you're right. Mostly." She said.

"What happened to 'always'?" he asked with a smile.

"I'll explain it to you later... when we're back home."

He followed her into the house and into the kitchen, where Shikamaru waited.

"Yo." Shikamaru greeted and Kakashi just nodded. "I'd say we start in the library. That room seems smaller when you're inside then it is when you're outside."

They went down the corridor, gladly no one came their way, and entered said room.

"I'll take care of the staff." Sakura said and pulled a little crystal ball out of her pocket.

"A new sort of Gen-jutsu I tried with Shizune." She winked and placed the ball under the table.

"They'll see and hear us talking about things that don't make sense and they don't understand."

"Good." Kakashi said and looked around.

"I have already looked at the walls and shelves, I haven't found anything."

"Ok... let's see what I can see." Kakashi said and put away the eye patch.

He scanned the room with his Sharingan and at the right side of the room he saw movements in dust bits between two shelves.

"Let's see..." he mumbled and went over, looking for any hidden mechanism.

"Seems like in old movies where you just pull at one book and the shelf slides open." Sakura said and stood aside him, looking at the books in the shelf. One book-title seemed off.

"How to work with your staff... ridiculous. He never read something like that." She said and pulled it down, causing a shelf to move aside.

"Sakura... you're astonishing." Kakashi snickered.

"Pure luck." She replied and looked at the stairs that went down.

"Wonder about that later. I want to get that mission done. It's troublesome." Shikamaru said and Kakashi went down the stairs first.

"Looks like a lab." He said and switched on a light.

"It is a lab." Sakura said and brushed past him. Shikamaru looked around, too many glass and metal stuff for his taste. While he kept looking around Kakashi kept looking at Sakura, means right now her swaying backside.

"He's lengthening drugs down here." She said and looked closer at a conical flask in front of her.

"The question is: is he only lengthening them, or is he producing them as well?" Shikamaru said and looked into a side room.

"He's producing them." Came his muffled voice out of the side room as he looked through all the items.

"That would be a reason to get attacked." Sakura said and turned her head in Kakashi's direction. She caught him staring at her bottom and shortly rolled her eyes. She slowly turned and looked at him, a sly smirk and raised brow gracing her face. She could swear she saw a blush creeping up his cheeks behind that scarf and flashed him a grin.

"But we know who has his hands on the drug traffic in this area. I'd rather say he's mixing them on his own, without his knowledge. Izuya's not the type to write letters, he'd sent his thugs to do the job." Kakashi said and tried to ignore the caught feeling and Sakura's knowing grin.

"To me it looks like these letters were written either from Kenta himself..." Sakura murmured.

"Or from people who lost loved ones due to this shit." Shikamaru finished the sentence for her.

"Exactly. But no matter what it is, he lied to us. Normally I'd say we should drop the mission." Kakashi said and crossed his hands in front of his chest.

"We can't just go now." Sakura said and Shikamaru nodded.

"We have to do something."

"Better we keep tight watch on this room now and I'll sent back message to Tsunade. Let's see what she says."

They nodded and then left the room, switching off the light and going back upstairs.

"You look tired." Kakashi said to Shikamaru and the young man nodded.

"A bit, yes."

"We'll take care of everything. Go get some sleep. I'd say Kenta is making new connections or delivering his stuff this evening. You need to keep an eye on him tomorrow."

Shikamaru eyed him curiously, and then shrugged and with 'g'night' he went to bed.  
Sakura took a notepad out of her pocket and wrote a coded note for Tsunade.

"I'd say we lock him up. I hate people like him." She grumbled as she was finished, handing him the note and packing away her crystal ball.

"I know what you mean." He said. "Join me outside for a while?" he asked casually and she nodded.

"Let me place a clone in my room, just in case Mai is checking up on me again."

He nodded and patiently waited for her before they went through the delivery entrance and went into the garden.

Kakashi summoned Ūhei and gave him the note.

"You're the fastest. Bring that to the Godaime as fast as you can. Return as soon as you have an answer."

"Hai." The dog said and sniffed, before it took off like a rocket into the forest.

"Wow... He's truly fast."

"Yeah, he is." Kakashi said and sighed.

"Something wrong?" she asked and looked at him curiously.

"Yes and no." He mumbled and sat down, his back resting against a tree. He shortly looked at the space beside him and she took his invitation. Being near him was a privilege; she knew that for quite a while now. And she knew that she was special to him, but how much?

"What's bothering you?" she asked again and he looked down on her.

"What do you think?" he asked back.

"You know that it's hard to read you, and I asked first. It's rude to answer with a counter question."

He snickered and then got serious.

"You know the feeling if you want something you shouldn't?" he asked and looked up into the night sky. She felt a lump in her throat growing and nodded.

"Yes. I know it. Too good for my taste..." she mumbled and looked at her feet, avoiding his eyes.

"This thought keeps spinning through my mind for quite a while now."

She chewed on her lower lip. This was the conversation they needed to have, right? It was going to come eventually.

"And... why do you think you shouldn't..." she slowly asked, being unsure if she'd like his answer.

"Ethics... society..." he loosely replied.

"Because of you? Or something else?"

"I wouldn't call you 'something else,' he said and she snorted. "And I don't think I matter in this case."

"You think..." she bitterly mumbled and inspected her shoes.

"Sakura..." he started but she shook her head.

"You do count. At least for me, so don't say you don't."

"I know... you told me quite often."

"Then why don't you believe me?" she asked, sounding a little helpless.

"I believe you. But I don't think it's good for you... you might regret it someday."

"Shouldn't you let that be my worry?" she retorted and now looked straight into his face. "You know, Ino once told me something I thought was quite wise from her. Never regret what you've done, when you did it to make yourself happy."

He sighed and pulled her close, inhaling the tempting scent of her hair.

"Sakura... how I'd like to..." he mumbled into her hair.

"Then let go, just a bit. You can't strain and punish yourself your whole life long."

He sighed, she knew him truly well.

"I don't know if I can." He silently admitted.

"Then at least give it a try." She said and he hummed.

"I'll try. Promise."

She sighed and knew that she had to be satisfied with that for now, he wouldn't add anything more to it. She nuzzled up a bit against him.

"I won't occupy you for long." She mumbled and he snickered.

"I'm used to being occupied by you now."

She laughed and poked him. "Is that a compliment?"

"Never." He laughed and poked back. "How insulting, shame on you."

As they heard Naruto coming back just about 20 minutes later she slid away a bit and both waited for the blonde to appear.


	23. Chapter 23

Folks, what should I say? I'm so happy I have a beta :) And this chap was full of mistakes. XD  
Well, I hope I haven't kept you waiting for long. The next chap will take a while, since I'm going on holidays for two weeks. But hopefully I'm back with new ideas. Now, please enjoy.

* * *

Sakura tried not to look at Kakashi as their blond friend appeared.  
"Hi there!" he grinned and plopped down between them. "Man am I tired. That Kenta-guy is annoying."  
"Finally found out, huh?" Sakura mumbled and Naruto blinked.  
"Have I missed something?"  
"Just the way he manages to be an ass every day." She stated and sighed.  
"Have you found anything?" Kakashi asked and Naruto shook his head.  
"Nothing new. He nearly had sort of a fight but I stepped in. People around me told me that he's always like that. You can say that guy has no friends."  
"Have you seen Izuya around?" he asked again and Naruto frowned.  
"That big drug-dealer? No. But I heard he has an eye on that Kenta-guy."

Sakura sighed and then stood up.  
"That sounds bad and it means we'll have to be careful. I hope Ūhei is fast enough. Anyways, it's my shift. I'll be back in. See you tomorrow."  
With that she left and went in.  
"Who's Ūhei? " Naruto asked and Kakashi stood up as well.  
"The fastest of my dogs. Now go get some sleep, days may become more busy."  
"If you say so." The blonde yawned and then followed Sakura into the house.  
Kakashi inwardly sighed. This mission was truly heading into a direction he didn't like and Sakura was in between everything.  
There he went again... worrying about a woman who truly was capable of taking care of herself. He had to work it out somehow. Either way it couldn't go on like that. He called the rest of his pack and started his rounds.

Sakura chewed on her lip and pretended to listen to Naruto, who decided to eat something before he went to bed. Mai was long since sleeping and the house was quiet despite for the sounds of the waterpipes. She sat in the kitchen with the lights off and looked out of the window. Had she gone too far?

The past had taught her that it usually backfired when one tried to push Hatake Kakashi. And she didn't want to push him. Frowning, she left the kitchen and walked past Kenta's sleeping room and the library into his 'living room'. She sat down on the immense big couch and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She felt tired, mentally exhausted and needed a rest. She truly had to sort that out, first with Ino and then with him. No matter what a loudmouth Ino was, her last tips had been quite reasonable. But that all had to wait until after the mission and that could stretch even longer. Izuya was the last one she wanted to have an eye on Kenta. Izuya... that tricky bastard. However often they tried to catch him, he always managed to weasel himself out of everything. Even though she hated drugs she had to admit since he held the crown of that swamp they had less drug-deaths each year.  
'Keeping your customers' he once told Kiba, who would have jumped at him if Shino hadn't stopped him. Izuya... and she jumped off of the couch. She felt someone approaching and at this time at night it couldn't be a good visitor.

Pakkun growled, letting out a warning bark and Kakashi whirled round, kunai at the ready. He saw a shadow rushing towards the mansion and ran towards them. Bull jumped out of the bushes and the shadow stopped momentarily but long enough for Kakashi to grab their collar. He pushed him against a nearby tree, kunai pressed to his throat.  
"Who are you and why are you here?" he hissed.  
"I thought Konoha's Shinobi kill first and ask questions later, not the other way round. Kakashi snorted and loosened his grip a bit.  
"Better. I know you have manners, Hatake."  
"Unlike you, Izuya." The silver haired man said and let go of the man in front of him.  
"That's what you say. So you still have your dogs, huh?"  
"Why are you here?"  
"I just came here to look at the little stinker who tries to take away my customers."  
"You mean you came to kill him."  
"Naw, Hatake... you should know by now that a man like me doesn't dirty one's hands on scum like that. This idiot is too stupid to lengthen the stuff. It's not hard to get news out of the junkies, all of those who died had consumed his shit. That means less money for me, I don't like that."

"Would've been a miracle if you were worried about the people." Kakashi stated sarcastically.  
"They're worthless trash, nothing more. But they pay. So you know this bastard is ruining my business?"  
"We found out today."  
"Kill him."  
"Not without permission. And you're not accepted as employer."  
Izuya laughed and shook his head.  
"You and your stupid rules. Listen, Hatake. Either you clear this problem within the next four weeks, or I'll take care of it... my way. Got me?"  
"You could try." Kakashi growled and the other man laughed again.  
"Not even your Sannin was able to kill me, so you're not scaring me now. Right now it would be killing an unarmed innocent man."  
"It would be killing a thug, since you're on foreign ground, uninvited, at night. You better take your leave now."  
"I'll keep my eyes on that scum, Hatake. And on you." Izuya said and turned to leave.  
"By the way... if you are ever looking for a new employer... men like you are always welcome. I pay well."  
"Get lost." He growled again and Bull joined in. Izuya only laughed and then casually walked away.

Kakashi watched him retreating, Bisuke and Pakkun on his heels to make sure he truly left the grounds. He smelled Sakura before he heard her.  
"Izuya, huh?" she said and put the kunai she was holding away.  
"Yeah. He truly figured it out. Faster than we did. I don't like that."  
"Hmm... Me either."  
"Is everything in the mansion ok?"  
"Yes. Everything peaceful. What was the matter?"  
"He wanted to check up on the scum that ruins his business."  
She frowned and looked in the direction Izuya had left.  
"Bisuke and Bull escort him. Worried?"  
"Nu-uh. I'm just wondering how this will end."  
"Let's wait and see what Tsunade decides to do."  
"So desu." She said and tried to hide a yawn.  
"Sakura... because of our conversation earlier..."  
She looked at him curiously and blinked. "Yes?"  
"Um... I'm not sure how..."

She snickered and took one end of his scarf between her fingers, lightly tugging at the cloth.  
"You once taught me 'you should always know what you want', right?"  
"That's possible." He admitted with a smile.  
"That's not only possible, that's fact. Just keep your word and give yourself a chance and..." she grinned.  
"And what?"  
"Trust me." She quickly pecked him on the cheek and then went into the mansion again, an idea growing in her head.

The next two days were silent, but then Ūhei returned with a message from Tsunade.  
Sakura sat on the patio while Kenta was debating with Uyeda and she listened closely. They argued about the drugs and the sale and she registered with a grim smile that they weren't selling. She grimly crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared in the growing darkness around the house. It was then that she saw a fur ball shooting past her.  
After a short look at the two debating men she placed a clone on the chair she was sitting on and followed the fury something into the woods.  
"Ūhei?" she asked, earned a bark as answer and snickered.  
"You know sometimes you're frightening." She heard Kakashi's voice out of the shadows and stopped.  
"Just sometimes? Naruto says I'm always scaring the shit out of him."  
She heard him snicker and then he leaped out of a tree, just to land right next to her.  
"So it had been Ūhei?"  
"Yes. And he brought a message, but I haven't read it yet. Wanna join decoding?"

"Of course. The earlier we get out of here the better. Kenta and Uyeda are arguing about the slowing sales. I want to get that shit finished and then leave." She mumbled.  
"Not only you. Even Naruto is complaining. Too little action." He snickered.  
"Maybe that'll change." She said and looked at the scroll he handed her.  
"You wrote the message, you decode." He grinned.  
"If you say so." She smiled and started reading. "Oh... now that's interesting."  
He looked at her curiously but waited patiently until she had decoded everything.  
"And? What's she writing?"He asked and Sakura shook her head.  
"Pretty interesting stuff. Kenta's bio. That man here can't possibly be Kenta."  
"You have a file?"  
"Not yet. But in a few seconds."  
She activated the summoning-seal on the scroll and a file popped up. With a pleased smirk she handed it over. He read it and slightly shook his head.  
"How bold, that bastard. But there's still a chance that he's alive."

"A little chance, and getting smaller each day. We had been too blind. I'll go and wake Naruto and Shikamaru. That's something we have to discuss."  
Kakashi nodded and put the file away. "Be careful they don't get what you're doing."  
Sakura just winked and then left, taking the longer way over the delivery entrance.  
She woke Shikamaru first, since he was easier to wake. He stood outside the door to Naruto's room and waited for Sakura to throw him out of his bed.  
"I don't want to get up... it's not my time yet..." he protested and turned round again.  
Sakura took in a deep calming breath to stop herself from ripping the blonde's head off.  
"Naruto... you will move out of that bed in an instant, or you'll deeply regret it. There's something important we need to discuss. And spare two shadow clones, will you?"  
Yawning the blonde sat up and rubbed his eyes.  
"No need to get angry." He grinned at her and then stood up. "One for Shikamaru, huh?"  
"Bright boy." Sakura snorted and nodded. "Get moving."

Just a few moments later, Naruto had the two clones done. One changed into Shikamaru and they left the house, leaving the clones sleeping behind.  
"Sakura-chan said we have something to discuss?" Naruto said as they reached the small clearing in the forest where Kakashi waited.  
"Yes." The silver haired man replied.  
"I take it we got the message back?" Shikamaru asked and Kakashi handed him the note Tsunade had sent.  
"Wait... what?" Naruto asked confused and Sakura sighed.  
"When you followed Kenta into the village we were searching the house and found a little lab under the library where he's producing drugs. Not quite professional, but he's selling them nonetheless. We asked you about Izuya because we feared that he might have already noticed, and he did. He showed up two days ago, but Kakashi took care of that problem."

"Ah, I see." The blond nodded. "And now we have the instructions what to do with him, right?"  
"So to speak." Shikamaru yawned and handed the note to Naruto. "Can I have the file?"  
"Here." Kakashi handed it over. "Point is, we should go and look for him. But how do we split up?"  
"That's easy." Shikamaru said and leant back. "You and Sakura go, Naruto and I stay. If he is still alive he might need a medic, and you are the tracker we need to find him. Naruto can cover your missing up for them with his clones. So no need to worry."  
"I'm just wondering... is he using a henge? We couldn't have overseen something like that, could we?" the blond asked and Kakashi shook his head.  
"No. I don't think so. If he'd be using a henge I would've seen it."  
"Ok. I say we do it like Shikamaru said. You and Sakura go, and we'll keep a lookout for him. If that Kenta-guy makes trouble, we'll get him."

"Eventually we'll have to. But we'll let you know what we figure out. So it would be good if we're leaving right away, right?" Kakashi asked and Sakura nodded.  
"Naruto should replace my clone on the patio. But I need to pack my stuff, we might need it."  
"Finally some action." Naruto grinned and stretched.  
"Don't look forward to it too much." Kakashi said and shook his head. "I'll leave you my pack, just in case... I'll only take Pakkun with me."  
"Ok."  
Sakura hurried back to her room and quickly gathered her medical equipment before she went into the kitchen and packed rations. Back out in the forest they were already waiting for her.  
"You sure you can take care of everything here?" she asked and Naruto grinned.  
"Hey, we're both Jonin."  
"I'd say he means 'yes'." Shikamaru grumbled. "I'll take care of everything. And you better hurry and find that guy."  
"We will. Watch out for Izuya. Don't go easy on him if he shows up."  
"Hai."  
"See you in a few days. Hopefully with good news."

And then they parted, heading north where 'Kenta' had been seen before he went back into the mansion.  
"That's a turn I haven't expected." Sakura said and Kakashi nodded.  
"Neither did I. We should've asked him a bit more about his holidays. I hope we still can find a trace. It's been a while."  
"He had been there again just one day before we arrived. That's something Mai had told me but I hadn't paid much attention. There's a chance that he's holding him hostage."  
"Yeah, but in what shape..."  
"We'll see." she mumbled and concentrated on the way ahead.  
They rushed through the whole night but as the sun came up they were tired and had to rest.  
"Sugar..." Sakura hissed as she sat down.  
"What?"  
"Ah... we're losing time with a rest. But rushing on and then collapsing when we arrive is not really an option either."  
"So desu." He summoned Pakkun and then sat down next to her.  
"Yo. What's up?"  
"We need a rest. You take the watch. Wake us when you hear something. Give us around four hours sleep."  
"Hai."

They nearly fell asleep immediately, sinking against each other during their sleep. Pakkun inwardly grinned but kept his eyes and ears open. When he woke them four hours later and Sakura disappeared into the bushes, the pug walked over to Kakashi.  
"Yo... just curious. Does that mean we'll see her more often?"  
"Possibly."  
"I take that as a yes. Where do we go?"  
"A little village at the northern border near Takigakure. It's where Kenta had been on holidays."  
"Ah, you think he's been captured and is being held hostage?"  
"That's a possibility. Yes."  
"And what if he's dead?" the pug asked.  
"Then we'll have to look for his nearest family members and make them the landlord.  
"The fake-Kenta has to be put in prison." Sakura cut in, returning from her bushwalk.  
"Can we?"  
"We just waited for you."  
"Oh... ok. Then let's go."

As the sun slowly went down, they reached the small village.  
"Now let's see..." Sakura made and rummaged in her backpack. "I couldn't find something else but an old pair of socks. Sorry Pakkun, I hope it doesn't kill your nose."  
"I bet I've smelled worse." The pug said and stuck his nose in the bag Sakura held out to him.  
"Yeah, had worse stuff. I'm off." With that he left them and started his search.  
"We should go and ask at the occupants where he had been." Kakashi said and started to walk again."Wait... let me think; maybe we can spare ourselves the big tour."Sakura frowned and rubbed her temples.  
"I'm sure Mai mentioned something... um... red horse... I guess..."  
"Then let's see if we can find a red horse."

They went into the village and the second hotel they found was called 'Red Horse'.  
"Oh... we know that man! But he has another name than the one you said. It's not long ago since he had been here the last time." The woman at the reception explained.  
"He sometimes does that, he hates too much attention." Sakura smiled and the woman nodded.  
"He's planning to come here soon and since it's his birthday we're planning a little party. Do you know which places he visits often? Not that we chose the wrong location..."  
Kakashi stood a bit behind her, waiting for Sakura to get the information she hoped to find.  
A while later she turned away and grinned at him.  
"Find anything?" he asked.  
"First of all we should put our stuff in our room, number 252 and then we should go and eat something. I'm starving."

He shook his head but followed her up into the room she had announced. She dropped her backpack, only taking out a few medical supplies and she started storing them in one of her pouches.  
"The receptionist told me the sushi-bar down the street is the best in the village. My treat, no complaints." She said and was at the door again.  
"Sakura..." he started but she shook her head.  
"Complain when we're home. Now come on, we have a mission to do, right?"  
"You know, sometimes I'm afraid I rubbed off on you."  
"You are?" she grinned and he fought the urge to snort, but with the mission she had a point.  
Sakura was looking around like a tourist, looking for any strange looking people and places. But she found nothing on their way. Kakashi kept watching her closely, she seemed... changed. Different.

As they reached the sushi-bar she looked for a peaceful corner where they wouldn't be disturbed.  
"So, Sakura... what did the receptionist tell you?"  
"The man we know as Kenta is named Kato Souta, at least that's the name he's using here. He comes here once a month and stays for a week. Mostly he's meeting up with rich people, but his visits haven't been as constant as they have been since last year."  
"The file Tsunade sent us said that Kenta had been at Konoha hospital at the beginning of this year, getting treated after an assault."  
"Yes. Now that we have his bio it's obvious that the man at the mansion can't possibly be Kenta."  
Kakashi nodded. "Somehow I know the name Kato, but right now I don't know why. To put that aside, what else do you have for me?"

"Haven't you been listening?" Sakura asked after placing her order and gave him that knowing grin that made him feel caught.  
"I was... sort of absorbed." He mumbled and looked at the table.  
"Never mind. He's hiking a lot, at least that's what she told me. Maybe Pakkun should look up there."  
"I guess he found that way already." Kakashi mumbled and took a pair chopsticks. "But we'll see."  
He didn't feel too well with the fact that Sakura paid again, but had no chance to argue. As they left they turned towards the small mountains behind the village they heard Pakkun howling.  
"I guess he had found something?" Sakura asked and Kakashi nodded. They dashed down the street, hurrying towards the place where they expected the pug to wait.

"I found a man who smelled like the socks."  
"Anyone waiting around?"  
"No. Only old traces, older than two weeks. The man smells sick but I can't reach him."  
"Lead the way." Kakashi ordered and they followed the dog.  
Only shortly later they reached a small gap in the rocks, which obviously went down into a cave.  
"I'll go down. I'm smaller and thinner." Sakura said and looked into the gap.  
"I don't approve of that." He crossed his arms and she sighed.  
"Kakashi, please. Be reasonable. I really doubt that there will be someone who wants to fight me. The chance is nearly zero. And if you go in and get stuck I have a problem. Do you have a rope?"  
"Yes." He grumbled. '_I'd like to tie you up and make sure you don't go down there_' he thought."Then please help me. I'll get him out quickly and we can leave. Ok?"

Unwillingly, he gave in, handing her the rope and watching her climbing down.  
"You're worried." Pakkun said and sat down next to his master.  
"Yes." He replied shortly.  
"More than you let on." The pug sneezed and looked up to him.  
"Maybe."  
"Ya know... you're getting worse at lying each year."  
He looked down at his dog and snorted, keeping his preferred answer to himself. A tuck at the rope made him look at the gap.  
"I reached the ground!" she called up. "And I see him! He's sleeping."  
"Tie him up and then come back up!" he called down and Sakura coughed. He listened closer but couldn't hear anything else. She tied the sleeping man to herself and then started to climb back up.

As he saw her pink hair shimmering in the moonlight he silently sighed in relief.  
"He looks more like the man in the bio." He said and took the man from Sakura.  
"Let's go back. Go job, Pakkun."  
"Shall I tell the rest?" the pug asked and his master nodded.  
"Yosh. See ya." And with a 'poof' he was gone.  
"Seems like he had been thrown down there. Look at the injuries he has."  
"How bad is it?"  
"I only skimmed the examination. It was too... stinky and dark down there. But he's still breathing and his heartbeat is constant. Good signs if you ask me. I'll have a closer look at him in the hotel."

Back in the village, Kakashi smuggled the man past the receptionist and lay him down on the bed. Sakura went into the bathroom to fetch some towels and wash away the dirt.  
"Do you have some clothes you can spare? I can hardly give him some of mine." She said with a grin.  
"I think so." Kakashi answered and looked through his things.  
She started to examine Kenta closer and sighed.  
"His leg is broken and he has some cuts which have become infected. He must have been in pain all the time he was awake. No wonder he looks so strained. But that's all I can see for now. That will all be fixed quite soon."  
"Good. That's a start."

He watched her heal the man and helped her to clean and redress him. When they finished, the man was still sleeping, she sighed and sat down with her back against the wall. Kakashi fished two bottles of water out of her backpack and handed one to her, before he sat down next to her.  
"Seems like the mission is nearing its end, huh?" he asked and she nodded.  
"Yeah... so it seems. But I'm glad... somehow. Uh... I reek. I'm going to take a shower." She stood up and went into the bathroom.

Freshly showered, she returned a few minutes later and sat down next to him again. He put an arm around her and pulled her close. When he saw her questioning look, he grinned.  
"You said I should try. And I try."  
She silently laughed and snuggled up against him.  
"I have to admit I like this 'try'."  
They sat there in silence, waiting for Kenta to wake up.


	24. Chapter 24

I am so sorry! Truly! I know I promised to not let you wait so damn long anymore for updates... but I failed miserably. Work hat been quite busy, and my parents decided to move, so I had to help there as well and oh well... sounds so much like lame excuses. Anyway, I hope you can forgive me for taking so long...

Again thanks to my wonderful beta y-in-flame. ^-^

Please enjoy

* * *

Around one hour later Kenta started to move and Sakura stood up, walking over to the bed and sat down on the chair next to it. What horrors that man had to live through the last weeks she only could guess. He flinched before his eyes fluttered open. It took him several blinks before he could focus on her face.  
Sakura smiled and waited for him to get where he was.  
"Who... who are you? Where am I?" he stuttered.  
"I'm Haruno Sakura; the man over there is Hatake Kakashi. We're Shinobi from Konoha. You're in a small hotel called 'Red Horse'."  
"What happened?"  
"I was about to ask you the same thing. From where we found you and the injuries you have we can only guess what happened to you." She said and Kenta tried to sit up, but Sakura pushed him back down.  
"Stay there. You've strained your body enough in the last weeks, let it rest."

Kakashi stood up and walked over to the bed, stopping at its end. He gave the man calculating look before he spoke to him, his voice businesslike  
"A man that uses the name Kato Souta has taken your place; he uses your name and uses the lab under your library to produce drugs."  
Kenta's eyes grew wide and his skin paled. Sakura kept her eyes fixed on him, but she was sure that reaction wasn't faked.  
"W-what? The room under my library? Where are my butterflies? Drugs? Oh no! You must stop him!"  
"We're going to do that, but we had to find you first." Kakashi stated and looked at Sakura, who gave a curt nod.  
"Are you in pain?" she asked Kenta and he shook his head.  
"No... Not now. The last days or weeks, but not now."  
"You should eat a bit and then sleep. As soon as you're recovered enough we'll bring you home."

She helped him to sit up and then handed him something to eat. Kakashi left the room and she followed him shortly after.  
"What do you say?" he asked and she shrugged.  
"I'd say his reaction was honest."  
He nodded and then looked down the corridor. "When do you think we'll be able to move him?"  
"Two days, not earlier. He has to rest and I have to work on his leg more. It's fixed for now so it won't hurt him, but it's not completely healed."  
She saw that his mind was working.  
"Hey... I know that you don't like that delay, but fasten things up wouldn't be of any use. Don't you think Naruto and Shikamaru can handle a few days on their own?"  
"It's not that. I simply don't like the feel of handing over the burden to them."  
Sakura snickered and shook her head.

"Still in your sensei-role? Come on Kakashi, Naruto is like a second Yellow Flash, and Shikamaru is one of the brightest minds Konoha has. Do you really think that they're unable to deal with Izuya and these other idiots? Or are you afraid of being stuck here with me?"  
He chuckled and bowed down so their noses were nearly touching.  
"Do you really think I'd be afraid of _that_?" his voice was a mere whisper and raised goosebumps on her arms. "You should be afraid of that. Be glad we have Kenta here to prevent me from doing stupid things."  
"You make that sound like a crime." She said, pulling together all her inner strength not to jump at him right then and there. He grinned, fully aware that she could see it, and she was as fascinated about his beauty as she had been the last time.  
"You know... _**that**_ is a crime." She stated and he arched a brow.  
"What?"  
"That you look so damn hot. Now, if you don't mind, I have a patient waiting in there."

Before he could say anything further she entered the room again and found Kenta still sitting on the bed and the food was gone.  
"You'd better sleep now. It'll take us two days before you've recovered enough so we can go back to your mansion."  
"Two days?" he asked. "But we have to get rid of these bandits..."  
"We already have two colleagues there taking care of them. And you have Mai, who's taking good care of everything else. I only fixed your leg so you won't have to suffer from pain anymore, but it's not healed enough, so you can't walk."  
He started to complain but Sakura didn't listen, she was used to complaining patients by now. Even though the last one turned out to be quite tame in the right surroundings.  
Kakashi entered the room behind Sakura, still a smile tugging at his lips. Two years ago Sakura would've blushed madly and then run away. But now...

While she was talking to Kenta he examined the shabby looking couch in the corner of the room, and he was glad it was a sofa bed. He sat down and waited.  
Half an hour later Kenta was sleeping again and Sakura plopped down on the couch.  
"I am tired." She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Is there the need for a watch?"  
"I'll set up some traps; I guess that should be enough. No one knows we're here, right?"  
"Right." She yawned again and watched him as he took care of the door and the windows.  
"Shall I sleep on the floor?" he asked and she grinned.  
"Nope. The couch is big enough for the two of us. I don't need much space, but Ino says I'm kicking when I sleep."  
"We'll see." He snickered and sat down next to her. "Do we need that 'my side – your side' stuff?"  
"I don't think so." She yawned again, then pecked him on the cheek and curled up on the couch.

He sat there and looked down on her; the smug smile on her lips couldn't be overseen.  
"You smug little thing." He mumbled and she snickered.  
"As long as you don't complain I'm afraid I won't change anything." She mumbled.  
"I'm afraid I don't want you to change. And I know I'm going straight to hell for that."  
"I'll join you." She yawned again. "Being alone in hell sucks."Kakashi snorted but lay down next to her.  
"Now I have to admit, Naruto has a point about your scary-factor."  
She snickered into the old pillow. "You're finally starting to believe him."  
"I prefer to check assumptions myself." He said and kissed her on the head.  
"Good night Sakura."  
"Night Kakashi."

Four hours later Sakura woke up, because she heard noises. She could tell that Kakashi was awake as well, but she knew the source immediately.  
"Go back to sleep. It's Kenta, I bet he has fever." She whispered and he hummed in response. Silently she stood up and went over to the bed, where she checked up on Kenta's state. She was right; he had developed fever. She worked on his leg again and then cooled his temperature. His state changed noticeably and he drifted off into a relaxed sleep. For a while she waited next to his bed, before she went back to the couch.  
The material squeaked as she sat down but Kakashi didn't move. Nonetheless she knew he was awake. She lightly stroked his cheek and smiled down at him, she truly was madly in love with him. With a silent sigh she lay down again and curled up next to him again.

The warmth and the scent of her body so near and voluntarily next to him was so tempting but comforting at the same time. Kakashi was torn between looking forward to coming home and being nervous.  
The rest of the night was peaceful and quiet. Kenta slept like a stone, same with Sakura. Kakashi was awake first, but didn't want to move. Sakura was snuggled up against him, gripping his shirt and holding him in place.  
Kenta sighed and started to wake up, so Kakashi stroked the back of her hand lightly with his fingertips.  
"Hey sleepyhead, your patient is awake." He whispered and she twitched.  
"Is he peaceful?" she mumbled against his chest.  
"I don't think so." He snickered."Can't you give me a few more minutes? It's so comfy right now."  
"That's nice to hear, you know." He mumbled amused. "But as long as you don't let go of me, I'm unable to stand up as well."

"Spoilsport." She grumbled and turned away, curling up into a ball. Grinning he stood up and went into the little bathroom they had to get himself ready for the day. As he finished and came back he saw Sakura working on Kenta's leg again, giving the bone its strength back.  
"And, how's it looking?" he asked her and she looked up to him, her hair a wild pink mess.  
"Better. But I'd wait till tomorrow to leave so he can recover a bit more."  
"I told her that I don't want to wait! We should leave now, the earlier we get rid of those bandits in my mansion the better!" Kenta protested and Sakura was about to argue back but Kakashi spoke over top of her.  
"Sakura is one of the three top medics we have in Konoha. If she says we wait one more day, then we'll wait one more day. You had fever last night, so I'd say it wouldn't be a good idea to move yet."  
Kenta blinked and wasn't pleased with the situation but didn't say anything more about it. Sakura looked at Kakashi with an astonished look on her face and he winked at her.  
"We're going to fetch you something to eat. Please stay where you are."

The silver haired man nodded towards the door and Sakura moved.  
"To what do I owe the honor of you defending my orders?" she asked curiously as they walked down the corridor.  
"Never sap the authority, haven't I taught you that as well?" he asked and she snickered.  
"I'm not sure about that." She answered and he looked down at her with a raised brow.  
"Aw, come on... _sensei_..." she teased and he snorted. "Don't be mad, I was just making fun."  
"Very funny. Remind me to laugh later." He mumbled and she laughed, while she lightly poked him into the ribs.  
"What's wrong with you Kakashi?"  
"What?"  
They left the house and turned towards a ramen-bar that was only a bit down the street.  
"What's wrong with you? You seem to be worried."  
"I'm not pleased with the situation."  
Sakura placed the orders and then turned to face him, chewing on her lower lip while eyeing him curiously.

"Well, then why don't you send Naruto a message that they should grab that guy and his companion and head for Konoha, and we're taking Kenta there as well. Ibiki can have a little chat with them and we'll be sure about who is who."  
"Sounds reasonable. I simply have the feeling that there's something off." He said and she nodded.  
"I know what you mean." She thanked the cook but Kakashi was faster with paying the bill than she was. She glared at him but he just grinned down on her.  
"I told you that I'm old-fashioned."  
"Yeah, we had that already." She nearly snorted and shook her head, while rummaging around her pouches.  
"I'm looking for sleeping-powder. We don't want him to throw a fit, right?" she asked as she saw his curious looks. He nodded in agreement and then disappeared into a side street, summoning Pakkun.  
"Yo, what's up?" the pug greeted.  
"Change of plans. Go tell Naruto and Shikamaru they should grab these two guys and bring them to Konoha. There's something off." The copy Nin explained and the pug snorted.  
"Yeah, we know. They're actin' quite strange the last days."  
"They shall react instantly. Mai will take good care of the mansion."  
"As you wish." The pug said and disappeared with a silent 'poof'.

"Something wrong?" Sakura asked as he came back.  
"I guess they're getting nervous. Pakkun said they are acting strange since we left."  
"Oh." Was all she said and he looked at her curiously but remained silent. Sakura, meanwhile, put the sleeping powder in Kenta's ramen and after they had eaten they waited for the powder's effect to start. As soon as he was unconscious they packed their stuff and checked out, heading straight for the village hidden in the leaves.

"He's getting away!" Naruto shouted as he saw Uyeda running away.  
"Don't shout like that. That's such a drag. Keep this one, I'll catch the other." Shikamaru stated, sounding bored and took off, following the butler into the forest. Stupid guy, like he'd be able to outrun him or Kakashi's pack. It was a bright moon night, just right for the shadow user to capture the man as the dogs had cut off his way.  
"You're coming with us, if you like it or not." He said and with a well placed hit knocked the man out.  
"Kakashi said to head for the village." Pakkun said and Shikamaru nodded.  
"I know." The Nara sighed.  
"We'll accompany you till we reach the village, then we'll leave." The pug announced and Shikamaru resisted the urge to sigh. Being left alone with Naruto was already tiring him, but having wise-ass dogs around was a bit too much for him.  
While he explained to Mai that they had to leave and take the 'landlord' and his servant with them Naruto had dragged the two men away. Shortly after talking to Mai, Shikamaru followed the blonde, who had conjured two clones to lift up the bound men.  
"Can we?" Naruto asked and Shikamaru nodded. "Good. These two guys are starting to piss me off."

Sakura and Kakashi reached Konoha first and brought Kenta straight to the hospital.  
"Yo! Silver head!" Genma grinned as he spotted the two of them leaving the building. Kakashi silently sighed and Sakura snickered.  
"Is there a chance that he's going to leave you alone if you ignore him?" she whispered and he shook his head.  
"Then go. I'll report to Tsunade." She said and smiled, while he sighed and hung his head.  
"I think you'll survive it..." she started with a smug smile.  
"FOREHEAD!" Ino shouted and Sakura flinched, while he chuckled.  
"I hope the same counts for you." He snickered and she groaned.  
"I hope so as well. PIG!" she shouted back and winked at the silver haired man.  
Ino jogged down the street and noticed with a short smirk the look on Sakura's face.  
"Why do you always shout like that, Ino?" she asked slightly annoyed.  
"Because it's fun and a sure way to make you stop." Her blonde friend replied and grinned.  
"Will you ever grow up?" the pink haired woman asked and Ino laughed.  
"Maybe someday. You know that we need to talk, right?"  
"Yeah, I know. But first I have to report to Shisho."  
"I'll wait downstairs. There's no way I'm gonna let you escape."  
Sakura groaned and pulled a face. "I was afraid you'd say that."

Together they went towards the Hokage tower and Ino stopped at the foot of the building. Sakura entered and walked up to the office of her former mentor. Just as she raised her hand to knock the door opened and Shizune left.  
"Oh, hi Sakura. Back already?"  
"Hi Shizune. Yes, just returned."  
The brunette nodded and left, leaving the door open for Sakura.  
"Hokage-sama, we're back."  
Tsunade looked up from the paperwork she was working on and listened closely to the report Sakura gave her. When the young Kunoichi was finished, she nodded.  
"Good decision Sakura." She said, approving, and the pink haired woman smiled.  
"I'll hand in a written report tomorrow for you."

She was heading for the door when Tsunade stopped her.  
"Sakura, there's something I'd like to ask you." The sober tone of her voice made Sakura stop. She turned around and looked at Tsunade curiously.  
"And that would be?" she asked and Tsunade stood up, walking round the desk and stopping in front of it.  
"I'd like to know if there's something going on between you and your former sensei."  
Sakura knew that she was blushing madly now, so no matter what excuse she'd bring up now, Tsunade wouldn't buy it.  
"Uh... why... why do you ask?"  
"I heard rumors shortly after I had put him in your team, but Genma mentioned something the other day that made me think. So..." the blonde woman trailed off and the stubbornness in Sakura kicked into gear. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, a move she'd normally never do in front of her former mentor.

"Not yet. And maybe never. Why?" the sadness Tsunade could detect in her voice let her soften her expression.  
"I'm just curious. First he's older" she raised her hand to stop the complaint that was going to come from her student "and second he's had quite a... difficult... past."  
Sakura sighed and slowly the stubbornness faded. "I know that already. He told me."  
Tsunade arched a brow curiously.  
"I know that he is older. I was racking my brain about that fact too, but..."  
"But it doesn't matter to you, right?"  
The pink haired woman nodded.  
"I thought about many things lately. What people would think about him, even if it would be me who'd be... hitting... on him. How our comrades would react and so on. He was blamed and shunned once, I couldn't stand it if I'd be the reason for him to suffer from something like that again."

"You care for him a lot."  
Sakura let out a short bitter laugh and curtly shook her head.  
"No Hokage-sama, I don't care. This word expresses not nearly a quarter of the emotions I hold for him."  
"I see." The blonde woman said, looking long at her former student, before she pursed her lips and then turned to sit down again.  
"You're a grown woman and it's your decision. If he makes you happy..."  
The young woman smiled and nodded.  
"I'll silence those who start to bite," the blonde woman said and Sakura beamed at her.  
"Thank you very much, shisho!"  
"Just make sure you stay concentrated while you're working." Tsunade snickered and Sakura laughed and then bowed.  
"Hai!"  
"You may go." She waved dismissingly and Sakura left with a wide smile.

Ino looked at her curiously, but Sakura simply ignored her. As they entered Ino's apartment the blonde nearly exploded.  
"Are you with your former sensei?"  
Sakura gaped at her as Ino shoved the pinkette into her kitchen, where she pulled a tub of ice-cream out of the freezer and placed it on the table, handing Sakura a spoon.  
"Oh come on pinkie!" Ino snickered at her with a grin. "That's so obvious! And Tenten spilled a bit when I bugged her. Seriously Sakura, you could've told me."  
"Sorry Ino. I didn't want to tell you because you'd be excited or something and would probably walk straight up to him."  
"Hell yeah! I bet you haven't told him yet, right?"  
Sakura shook her head.  
"Now, would you be so kind and tell me everything from the beginning?" the blonde said and leant back, as Sakura started to spill all.

She just finished as she heard the lock of the door and saw Shikamaru. He slipped out of his shoes as both of the women looked into the corridor.  
"Oh, Shika!" Ino called out and grinned. The Nara blushed a bit and mumbled a 'hi' while Ino grabbed him and hugged him tightly.  
"Hi and bye." Sakura said and stood up, stretching. "I don't want to disturb you. And I have to do something."  
"I expect good news from you tomorrow." Ino tried to look as stern as she could manage.  
"We'll see." The pink haired winked and left.

She went home, showered and made herself a little dinner. After she had eaten she grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled down a short note. With a pleased smile she left and pinned the note to his door. She knew that he hadn't been home yet.  
Silently whistling to herself she walked through the streets, up to the stone faces where she had written him to meet her.

As Genma finally let go of him Kakashi had developed a headache. First it had seemed to him that Genma tried to talk him out of everything, but then the Senbon chewer started to tell him all the good aspects a relationship with Sakura would have. Inwardly groaning he went home.  
He smelled that her scent as soon as he entered the staircase and saw why she had been there as soon as he reached his door.  
Without reading it, he took the note and entered, placing it on the kitchen table before he started to rummage for something to eat. He found a cup of instant Ramen and set the water to boil.  
Kakashi stripped out of his clothes and had a shower. As he dressed, he fished the small bottle of aspirin out of his nightstand. He poured the water in the cup and he took a pill, deciding to read her note before eating.  
_'I'd like to see you. Meet me up at the Hokage monument. Pretty please? Sakura'_  
He snickered, ate up and left, his hands in his pockets like always.

She sensed him coming before she heard him.  
"I take it you got my note." She said amused and a chuckle was the answer.  
"You asked so nicely, I couldn't refuse." He said and sat down next to her. She was sitting on top of a rock situated towards the back of the cliff, looking out over the village.  
"It looks so peaceful from here." She said and he nodded.  
"Is that the reason you wanted to see me?" he asked amused and she shook her head.  
"No. I have other reasons. Survived your talk with Genma?"  
"Yeah. With a headache, but nonetheless. Ino let you in one piece as well."  
"Yes, sort of. Washed my head, proverbially." He snickered and looked down at her.  
"Washed your head? What did she do?"  
"She was curious. She asked me about everything, last question had been if I love you." She answered and tried to keep her voice as casual as she could manage.  
"And what was your answer?" he asked quietly.

"So much for the genius Hatake, huh?" she asked back and stood up, stretching.  
"Sakura... I'm too old for you. You deserve someone younger and better..." He stated and stood up as well. Sakura let out a bitter laugh but kept her gaze fixed on the village.  
"Don't start that bullshit Kakashi. I tried those my age, several times, but that failed miserably. And you know that, because it always had been you to listen to my sobs and complaints. And before you ask, I'd never start anything with one of our circle of friends, that's out of question."  
"And me? I thought I belong to your 'circle' as well? What would people say?" he asked. She knew the reason behind this question and she had expected him to ask it.  
"You are special, you've always been and ever will be. And I personally don't care what people say."

He sighed and looked intently at the back of her head. "Why, Sakura?"  
"You want a reason? Let me see... how many do you want? You're reliable, trustworthy, loyal, and good hearted, caring... enough for you?"  
"That's what you want to see in me."  
"Again, bullshit. Haven't you said you hate it when I call you out on your shit? I've been on enough missions with you, and I've been a Kunoichi myself long enough. There's a difference between missions and being at home. Why do you do that? Why do you try to put yourself into bad light?"  
"Because I'm not good for you..."  
"Just tell me if you don't want that, but never tell me you're not good for me."

In the blink of an eye he stood in front of her, caging her between himself, his arms and the stone.  
"Don't say that, it's not true. I want that, I want you. And I want it badly, but I fear that I won't be able to let go of you." He growled low. Sakura blinked twice before she nearly ripped his mask pulling it down and crushed her lips against his, catching him in one of the most heated kisses ever.  
Immediately he caught up with her mood, answering with the same need. She grabbed his hair and pulled him down, pulling off his hitai-ate and heedlessly threw it to the ground. His hands wandered down her back, squeezing her butt and then pulling her close to his body. She groaned into his mouth and her hands roamed down his body, reaching the hem of his shirt and then slipped underneath. She trailed her fingers over his skin, feeling his lean and muscular body.

"Sakura..." he breathed against her cheek. "If we go on like that... I'm afraid I won't be able to stop..."  
"I don't care..." she breathed and took off her skirt, letting it fall to the ground. He smiled and then moved to her ear, biting playfully into her earlobe.  
"I'm so glad to hear that..." he mumbled and she shivered in anticipation. She tugged at his shirt, and he helped her to take it off, before he focused on her mouth again. Sakura purred and pressed herself against him, dragging down her nails over his back, causing him to growl heatedly.

(Quite a while and some censored actions later :)

As they entered her apartment they went straight into her bathroom. She peeled herself out of the clothes again, piling them next to her shower. He stopped at the door and looked at her, taking in her naked beauty in the warm light.  
"You coming in or what?" she asked.  
He smiled and piled his clothes on top of hers, following her under the warm water.  
When she had soaped his back and he turned to do the same with her he tried again to get his answer.  
"You still haven't answered my question."  
"Persistent, huh?" she asked with a smile.  
"I had a good teacher." He tried to imitate her.  
"OH! I so don't sound like that!" she said and laughed, but as she saw the serious look on his face she smiled at him warmly.  
"You want your answer... you'll get it. Yes, I do love you, for quite a long time now. And if you want to know exactly: I'm madly in love with you."

He pulled her into another tight hug and kissed her on top of her head.  
"Sakura... I don't deserve that." He mumbled into her hair and she gently shoved him away to wash away the remaining soap and step out of the shower.  
"Right." She said and took a towel. "You deserve much more."  
He turned off the water and took the towel she handed him.  
"That's what you say."  
"I'm pretty sure." She said, smiling widely and she held out her hand. He took it and she guided him into her bedroom.  
"Wait a second." She said and rushed back into her bath, clearing the mess, before she hurried back and saw him sprawled on her bed, lifting the cover as she approached. Silently giggling she joined him and cuddled up to him. He caressed her back and she purred quietly.  
"How about a second round?" he asked and she snickered.  
"Sounds like a good idea..." she hummed and he propped up on his elbow.  
"Hmm... Good to hear that." He purred and crawled under the cover. Sakura giggled and then the giggles turned into moans.  
"Oh Kakashi..."

The next day when she woke up, the bed next to her was empty. Shocked, she sat up and looked around, but she heard sounds coming out of her kitchen and relaxed. Seconds later, she heard his footsteps in the corridor and closed her eyes, waiting for him to open the door. Kakashi smirked when he saw the smile on her lips.  
"Good morning." He said. "Sleep well?"  
"Great. Can't remember if I ever slept better before." She replied with a grin.  
"Breakfast is ready."  
"You know, I could get used to that."  
Yawning, she followed him into the kitchen.  
"By the way, you can tell Ino she's lying. You don't kick in your sleep." Kakashi grinned.  
"No?" she asked and he leant in a bit.  
"Yes. Because you talk... and quite a lot." He winked and her eyes went big.

"And... what have I told you?"  
"Oh... that you love me... that you'd sell your soul to the devil himself... wait... how did you express it? Oh, yeah... you'd sell your soul to the devil himself to keep me doing these wicked things to you."  
She blinked, sucked in a sharp breath but kept silent. A smug grin made its way on her lips as she looked at him intently.  
"You know the devil is fast when it comes to collecting souls."  
Kakashi laughed and leant back in his chair.  
"You know... that is something I can get used to."  
"No one said it should be otherwise." She said and poured herself some tea.  
"By the way, I had a short conversation with Tsunade-sama yesterday. She asked about you... us."

The last remains of his smile vanished and he looked at her seriously. "And?"  
"Well, she just wanted to know whether I'm sure with what I'm doing or not. Just in case you're going to ask, I'm more than sure, so stop all the complaints you were going to pour out on me. Last night should've cleared the last worries out of your mind. She promised me she'd silence all those who start to backbite, so no need for you to think about such crap."  
He looked at her a long while, completely silent.  
"You know, Sakura, I've known you for many years now. Or at least I thought I'd known you. Usually I tend to say that only Naruto is capable of surprising me, but you've developed that habit as well. I'm still trying to pinpoint whether I like that turn on you or not. But since my friend died – and I'm serious with that – no one ever campaigned so much for me. I'm still not sure if I deserve that."

"Kakashi... would you do me a favour? Leave that deserving crap. I don't know anyone in this village who deserves good treatment **more** than you. After breakfast I'll go and see Tsunade-shisho, but I'll be back soon."  
"What are you going to do, if I may ask?"  
"You're allowed to ask me everything... wait... nearly everything. A few secrets should remain." She winked and he snickered, again she turned his own words against him.  
"But in answer to your question: I'm curious about the outcome of our mission, I have to turn in the report I still have to write and I need to talk to her."  
"About what?"  
"I can't be the only one who doesn't take care of a Genin-Team, right? Would be such a waste." Sakura smiled and he laughed. He had never felt so good during the last few years like he did that morning.

When Sakura left half an hour later, she was lost in thought. She didn't notice Ino until she pounced.  
"Hey forehead." The blonde grinned. "And... how was your night?"  
"If you're truly expecting to get all the smutty details from me, keep on dreaming Pig." Sakura retorted and grinned."But I told him."  
"I think I guess right if I say that from today on one will only get you combined, huh?"  
"So to speak, yes." Sakura replied and smiled at her best friend.  
"You know Sakura, I missed that smile. The true and relaxed one from the bottom of your heart."  
"Well Ino, I'm feeling... different. And I have to admit that I like that feeling."  
"Yeah, seems better that way. Where are you going?"  
"To see Tsunade. I'm curious about the guys from our mission, and I have to tell her something."  
The way she looked at Ino made her friend grin. "Don't tell me you're accepting a Genin-Team?"  
"Am I that easy to read?"Sakura laughed and Ino snickered.  
"At least to me. I've known you long enough. But good decision, Forehead. I've gotta go, don't forget to tell the girls."  
"I won't. Promise."

Sakura shook her head and walked on. As she reached the tower she braced herself inwardly.  
She knocked at the door and waited for Tsunade to call her in.  
"Good morning, Shisho." She greeted and the blonde looked up from her paperwork. As she saw the look on Sakura's face and the way her eyes were shining she smiled.  
"Good morning. Is there a reason for your early visit?"  
"I'm here to hand you the written report I promised, at least from our part. The other half should be Shikamaru's. And I'm sort of curious about the people from our mission."  
The Hokage leant back in her chair and linked her fingers together.

"Well, the man you and Kakashi brought back truly is Kenta. He likes to visit the hot springs once a month. He has rheumatism and the Onsen are helping him. That's where Kato caught him. He and his subordinate were on the run, they owe a missing Iwa-Nin a load of money and since Kenta has land and money and was a vulnerable victim they chose him and his identity as cover. They planned on making enough money with the drugs to pay the debts, but they didn't know about Izuya and the way he's controlling the market. They'll be locked up in prison, so no need to worry about them. Kenta is already on his way back home. He sends his regards and asked me to thank you for finding and healing him. Even though he wasn't quite as amused about the sleeping powder."

Sakura grinned sheepishly and Tsunade smiled.  
"Why do I have the feeling that this isn't all?" The Godaime asked and Sakura grinned.  
"You're right. Before I left on that mission you told me that I should think about whether I'll be taking care of a Genin team or not, and I made my decision."  
"And it is?"  
"I'll take a team. That is, if a team is going to pass my test." She said and smiled.  
"And which test would that be?" Tsunade asked with a smirk, feeling that she already knew the answer.  
"The bell test, of course." She laughed.  
The Godaime chuckled before clearing her throat.  
"You still have two days off, afterwards you have late-shift in the hospital. And I have a mission for your lover."  
"I'll relay it to him." She said and turned to leave, as Tsunade stopped her.  
"Sakura... if that's his effect, then you made a wise decision."  
She laughed and then smiled at her former mentor. "Have you ever doubted that I made the right decision?"  
Tsunade simply laughed as answer.

Epilogue:

Sakura sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. The huge amount of paperwork she had worked through today made her tired and all she wanted was to go home and drop down on the couch.  
There was a knock on the door of her small office in the hospital and Ino poked her head through the open door.  
"Hey Sakura, you're joining me for dinner? Shika isn't home yet."  
"But only dinner, Ino." She sighed and rubbed her temples. "I'm so tired and my head feels like it's going to explode."  
The blonde nodded and Sakura put away her pen.  
"I have to hand that to the receptionist." She said and stood up, but Ino was faster.  
"I'll do it. Finish your other stuff."

Sakura sighed in relief and changed her clothes, putting her working clothes into a basket for the nurse to wash and then switched her lights off.  
Ino waited at the staircase.  
"Where do you want to go?"Sakura asked and her friend shrugged.  
"Shushu-ya?"  
"Agreed." The pink haired nodded and chatting silently they walked through the streets.  
"How are things going?" Ino asked after they ordered their meals.  
"Just fine." Sakura answered with a smile and leant back.  
"Yeah? I thought he'd be a bit... buttoned up."  
"Not to me. Honestly, everything's fine."  
"He's still on a mission, right?"  
"At least he's not alone, Naruto joined him, right?" the blonde asked and Sakura nodded again.  
"Mah, Shika is still in Suna. It'll be two more weeks until he gets home."

They talked a bit more and after they had eaten, they parted ways and went home. As Sakura turned into her street, she smiled. In her apartment lights were on, which meant that Kakashi had returned already. She quickened her pace and went up the stairs three at a time.

She opened the door and the scent of his shower gel hit her nose. She sniffed and smiled, she liked that scent. The bathroom door stood open and she saw some drops leading into the kitchen. Sakura slid out of her shoes and closed the door quietly. On tiptoes she snuck into the kitchen, where he stood with his back to her. He only wore a pair of lose trousers and was warming up something to eat. She always kept some food in the freezer in case he returned home from mission and she wasn't home to cook something.

He'd heard her as she entered the building but acted like he didn't know she was there. She'd be lecturing him if she found his bloody clothes in the bathroom. He heard her footsteps in the corridor and grinned, while he kept his eyes fixed on the pot in front of him. He felt her breath on his bare back and her gentle hug from behind.  
"Welcome back." She mumbled and hugged him tight. He caressed her hand while he shoved the pot onto the other plate and turned off the stove. Slowly he turned round and bent down to her to give her a long deep kiss.  
"I missed you." He mumbled into her hair afterwards and she laughed softly.  
"Same here." She mumbled against his chest and then let go off him so he could eat.

She was glad he didn't wear the mask indoors and she could watch him in all his beauty.  
"I handed in your form to Tsunade." She told him and he nodded, then looked at her questioningly.  
"Mine as well." She grinned and shook her head. "You didn't think that I wouldn't, did you?"  
"I have to admit the thought crossed my mind. But you're not someone to chicken out." He said and winked at her.  
"At least I hope so." She said and leant back in the chair. "I still think that it would be best if you taught in the academy."

"Sakura... please don't start that again. I told you I'd become teacher at the academy the day I'm too slow on the battlefield. And you know..."  
"That thanks to Obito that day is far away. I know." She said and sighed. "It was just an idea, so don't get mad."  
"Tell me how I ever could get and _stay_ mad at you." He grinned before he continued eating and she laughed.  
"You have a point. Good that I know how to push the buttons."  
"That's what you think." He mumbled and ducked so she couldn't hit him.  
"Joker." She snorted. "Shizune invited us over for dinner on Sunday. Is that ok?"

"No other plans." He said and put his bowl in the sink. "Unlike this evening."  
She grinned at him and shook her head.  
"First a check up, you know that."  
He sighed, defeated, and went into the bedroom, flinching as he heard her huffing in the bathroom. He squeezed his eyes shut but she didn't come.  
After a few calming breaths she went into the bedroom, stopping in the doorway and crossing her arms in front of her chest.  
"Honey, you know you have something to make up to me." She said and he blinked innocently.  
"I know... a load." He sighed.  
"A shit load, buster." She grinned and walked over to the bed. "Now be a nice patient and let me check you."  
"As you wish." He grinned and as soon as she was finished he pulled her down on his chest.  
"As I told you... I can't let go of you." He whispered into her hair and she hummed."I'm counting on that." She mumbled against his chest. "I'm counting on that."


End file.
